Dead and Buried
by WhoKnowsWhy
Summary: Events after the shifters reveal force Sookie to examine her feelings about the men in her life. Sookie/Bill/Eric/Sam *Disclaimer* Sookie Stackhouse and these characters are the sole property of Charlaine Harris. I am only playing in her backyard.
1. Chapter 1

I locked the door of the bar and made my way back to Sam's office. I was exhausted. There was a lot more to running a bar than I ever knew. Sam trusted the place to me when he left to see his mother after his step-father shot her on the night of the big reveal. That was over a week ago. Since then, she'd had three surgeries and was still in the hospital. Sam had called that morning and asked if I could hold down the fort just a bit longer. His hands were full with his mom, not to mention his step-dad's feelings of guilt and the police involvement in the shooting. I told him it was no problem. I owe Sam. He's been a good boss and a better friend for seven years now.

I sat down at Sam's desk and powered up the computer. The food order for next week needed to be in tomorrow. I glanced at the clock.; just past 2 a.m. If I had a computer at home, I could catch a few winks and then work on it. But I didn't. No wonder Sam lived in a trailer behind the bar. That gave me a thought. I could sleep in the trailer for a bit, then work on the orders with a fresh mind. Sam wouldn't care. There was no one at home to worry about me. Ameila had taken off for a few days with Tray and Octavia was in New Orleans at some kind of witches' meeting.

There was no man waiting for me, either, as I was currently unattached. There was the small matter of a blood bond with a certain Viking vampire, but since he'd made no effort to talk to me in over two weeks, I wasn't getting my panties in a wad over him. Bill, my ex-boyfriend and current next door neighbor, might be watching the house for my return, but he'd been in the bar earlier, as he had been every night this week, offering to see me home. I'd told him I had work to do after closing. It was nice of him to offer. Bill is chivalrous that way, worrying about a woman alone after dark. He ought to know. He's a vampire, too. Of course, he'd hurt me more than any attacker could have when he revealed that he had seduced me on assignment from his Queen. But she was out of the picture now, and there was a lot of water under that bridge. I didn't have the energy or the desire to stay that angry at him any longer.

I found the key to the trailer on the key ring Sam kept by the back door. I flipped the switch for the security light in back. Nothing. Crap. The bulb must be burned out . Oh well. I picked up the flashlight Sam kept on the shelf and found my way into the trailer. Not even removing my shoes, I collapsed on the bed, pulling an old quilt over me and fell into sleep immediately.

I awoke to the sound of the door being ripped from its frame and the smell of smoke.

"Sookie! Thank God!" Bill threw the trailer door aside and scooped me up in his arms, moving with vampire speed out into the parking lot.

"Put me down! Put me down! What are you doing?" I coughed as smoky air filled my throat and lungs. Bill set me gently down on my feet. Still disoriented, I stood there stupidly staring at him until the view over his shoulder came into focus. The bar was in flames.

"Oh my God! Bill! Call 911!"

"Sookie, I did." He said calmly. "They're on their way."

The words weren't even out of his mouth when three fire engines came screaming into the parking lot. JB duRone, a high school friend now married to my friend Tara, hopped out of the cab of one. He looked different in his gear. JB had never been the best student, but he'd found his niche. Here he was confident and in charge.

"Anyone inside?"

"No. No." I shook my head.

"Sam?"

"He's out of town."

"Let's go!" Another fireman called. They pulled out hoses and axes and ran toward the building

In less than an hour it was over. Merlotte's was a smoking skeleton.

Bill put his arm around my shoulders. For the first time in a long while, I didn't shrug him away. "Sookie. Let me take you home."

"No." I insisted. "I need to stay here."

J.B. approached, his face covered with soot. "You might as well go. The fire is mostly out, but you can't go in yet anyway. We'll stay here and watch to be sure there aren't any hot spots that could flame back up. You can assess the damage tomorrow. Don't worry about your car. Someone will drop it off."

"How am I going to tell Sam?" I moaned.

"We'll call him from the house." Bill said. "Come on now." He led me to his car, opening the passenger door. I slid in wordlessly, too tired and overcome to argue. As he drove down the dark road toward home, all I could think of was Sam. The bar was his life's work. He would be devastated. Sam's trailer was pretty much gone, too and if Bill hadn't shown up I would probably be taking another trip to the hospital, or worse. A thought occurred to me.

"Bill?"

"Yes," he answered, never taking his eyes from the road. Bill was a careful driver,. Not always the case with vampires.

"How did you know about the fire? How did you find me?"

He didn't speak. The silence was telling.

"Were you watching me?" I didn't know whether to be comforted or appalled.

"Not really. I roam at night. You know that." He sighed. "Sam might have asked me to check every so often to be sure you were safe. Turns out, you weren't."

I suppose I should be glad he had been there. I was. But the last thing I needed was a keeper. Bill seemed to sense my distress.

"After all the publicity with the Shifter's reveal, Sam asked me to hang around in case there was trouble. I don't make it a habit of following you. But I had a strange feeling tonight and I came back to the bar. Luckily." He added.

"I wonder how it started? I thought I checked everything in the kitchen. I was so careful." I began to cry. "What will Sam do? How can I ever tell him?"

We pulled into the driveway and I realized I'd left my purse in the bar. Twenty-eight dollars, my checkbook, driver's licence, and my two credit cards were probably ashes. I fished the hidden key from under a loose board in the porch, not caring if Bill saw where it was. I could always recind his invitation if it came to that. I held the door open and he followed me inside.

The answering machine light was flashing. "You have two new messages." The tinny voice proclaimed.

"Sookie. We should talk I will pay you a visit soon. Perhaps tomorrow.." Eric. Impeccable timing as usual. As if he didn't know where to find me if he'd wanted to talk to a real person instead of my machine. I pressed delete.

"Second message: " the machine intoned. Yeah, yeah, I can count.

"Sookie. It's Sam. The bar must be busy 'cause no one answered the phone. I'm still at the hospital. Mom's had some complications from the last surgery. Call me on my cell if you need me."

I sighed and sunk down on the couch, the phone still in my hand. "Well," I said to myself more than Bill. "There's no time like the present." Bill sat next to me, leaving some space between us, but letting me know he was there. I dialed Sam's cell phone number.

"Sookie?" He answered. "What is it?" Somehow he knew immediately that something was wrong. Maybe because I don't make a habit of calling at five in the morning. "Sookie?" He said again.

I managed to choke out. "Sam. Oh Sam." Before the tears came again and I lost my voice completely. Bill took the phone from my hand.

"Sam? It's Bill. No, no, Sookie is fine. She's fine. It's the bar. Sam, there's been a fire."

I could only hear Bill's end of the conversation and that was mostly "yes", "no", and "I don't know." Finally I had recovered enough to speak and I held out my hand for the phone.

"Here she is." Bill told Sam.

"I am so sorry Sam." My voice broke again. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault Cher. Aw. Sookie don't cry." He said. "It'll be alright. I've got insurance and we'll rebuild." He was babbling now, the way people do when there's nothing to say. "The place will be as good as new. Better."

"What should I do?" I needed some course of action, something to make me feel also registered in the back of my mind that I was out of a job, at least temporarily.

"I gave Bill the name of my insurance agent. If you could call him tomorrow, well, I guess that would be today, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to check on flights back. Mom's doing better and the police said there won't be any charges, so Al can be with her. I should be there by tonight, tomorrow at the latest."

"Okay." I sniffed.

"Sookie, this is not your fault." Sam insisted. "Get some sleep. Call me later."

"Okay. Bye." I hung up the phone and sank deeper into the couch. Before I knew he had left, Bill was back with a glass of water and two aspirin. I accepted both gratefully. My throat was scratchy and dry from the smoke and my head was beginning to pound. I also noticed that I smelled awful.

"Do you want me to stay?" Bill asked.

"No, I'm just going to take a shower and try to sleep for a few hours. It's almost dawn. You should go."

"As long as you're alright."

"I will be." I gave him my best impression of a smile.

I walked him to the door. "Thank you." I said. "For being there tonight and bringing me home."

"I am always at your service." He gave a little bow. On impulse I reached forward and hugged him. He stood terribly still for a moment, not sure what to do, then his arms came around and hugged me back. "May I check in on you tonight?"

"That would be nice." I said. And meant it.


	2. Chapter 2

I slept until noon the next day. When I awoke, sunlight was streaming through the open window and the phone was ringing.

"Hello?" My voice sounded rough and raspy, like I had a bad cold.

"Sookie? Sookie I just heard. Are you alright?" Jason asked, sounding truly concerned.

"Yeah." I reassured my brother. "I'm okay."

"How did it happen? Where were you?"

"Sleeping in Sam's trailer." I threw the covers back and shrugged into my robe. "Bill was watching the place and woke me up. As to how it happened, I haven't talked to J.B. yet this morning." I peered out the window. Sure enough, my car sat in the driveway, parked at an odd angle. I hadn't given anyone the keys. They must have had it towed.

"Bill?" Jason seemed puzzled.

"Evidently, Sam asked him to keep an eye on things." Or on me, I thought. "Anyway, I'm lucky he was there. The trailer's pretty much gone."

"So the fire started in back?"

"Hmmm. I suppose it must have." Suddenly I remembered something. "The back light was burnt out."

"What?"

"When I left the bar to rest for a bit, I flipped the switch, but the security light in the back didn't come on. I assumed the bulb had burnt out."

"Maybe not." Jason said.

"That's what I'm thinking. Listen, I'd better call J.B. and see what the fire department knows. I might even be able to get in the bar and see how bad things are. I'll call you later."

"Have you talked to Sam?"

"Yeah, he's on the next flight back, whenever that is. Hopefully by tonight."

"Alright. Call me."

"I will." Who was this caring person and what had he done with my self-centered brother? Oh well. Maybe with the big reveal, Jason was growing up. Finally. But I doubted it.

My hair still smelled of smoke, so I took another shower, washing and rinsing it twice for good measure. I pulled on jeans and a red t-shirt, tying my hair back with a matching ribbon. Slipping my feet into tennis shoes, I looked around for my purse. Oh. I remembered where I had left it. I mentally added getting a new driver's license and credit cards to my To Do list. My extra set of car keys hung by the door. I slipped them off the hook and headed out.

As I drove the familiar route to Merlotte's I did some quick math in my head. I was frugal, and with Amelia and Octavia paying some of the expenses, I had been able to put some money away for a rainy day. Since I was apparently out of a job, I figured it was pouring about now. The money I had squirreled away wouldn't last indefinitely, but it would do for awhile. I knew Sam would do his best to take care of all his employees.

I rounded the last curve in the road and pulled into the parking lot. The damage actually didn't look as bad in the light of day. Most of the structure was standing, although the roof to the kitchen sagged alarmingly. There was a lime green BT Fire Dept. 4-wheeler parked next to what was left of Sam's trailer. I took a deep breath and got out of the car.

"Hello?" I touched the door tentatively. It was cool. Pushing it open I walked inside. "Hello?" I said again. "Is anyone here?"

"Miss, you really shouldn't be in here." An older gentleman in a bright blue jacket and hard hat came from the direction of Sam's office. "Oh, Sookie, it's you."

"Hi Chief Bailey." I greeted the Bon Temps Fire Chief. His wife was a member of the club my Gran had belonged to, and they both attended my church.

"I'm so sorry about this. Have you spoken to Mr. Merlotte? DuRone tells me he's out of town."

"I spoke to him last night. He should be on his way back." I glanced around. The floor was littered with glass and fragments of metal from the light fixtures. They must have exploded in the heat. Some of the bottles behind the bar were broken, and the bar stools were melted together, snaking in front of the bar like some strange black serpent. Most of the booths and tables were intact, although they were covered with soot. I could see the blackened walls of the kitchen, and light from outside played along the charred walls of the hallway leading to Sam's office. They had knocked a hole in the roof to let the smoke out.

"The office, a storeroom in back and the kitchen are a total loss." The chief shook his head. "In here, not as bad, but we aren't sure yet about structural damage."

"Where did it start? Do you know?"

"Not for certain." He paused. "It looks like it may have been deliberately set. What time did you close up?"

"Terry left around 2 a.m. I locked the door behind him."

"You notice anything odd or suspicious?" He had his pad out now, pencil ready. I told him about the light, and that Sam usually kept up with things like that. Of course, he'd been gone for a week or so.

"Follow me, watch your step."

We walked down the familiar hallway and I fought back tears. So much of my life had played out here. The chief pushed open the back door, not difficult since it hung by one hinge.

"Duck your head." He warned. I stepped out into the alleyway, glad for the fresh air. "This the light?" He asked, pointing to a shattered glass globe attached above the door.

"Yes." So the bulb hadn't burnt out.

"This could have exploded from the heat, but if it had...." He glanced at the ground. "The pieces would be scattered, not all in a pile here." He pointed. "Someone broke this on purpose."

I shivered to think that whoever set this fire might have watched me go into the trailer. It had been so dark, and I was so tired. I never noticed anyone.

He looked around. "You were in that trailer?"

"Yes." I thanked God again that Bill had been there. The end of the trailer that held Sam's bedroom was nothing but a gaping black hole.

"How did you get out?" The chief shook his head. "You're lucky the smoke didn't get you."

"I know." I said, not mentioning Bill. I didn't want him to have to answer a bunch of questions about why he was there. J.B. knew, anyway. Another thought occurred. If the person who set the fire had been waiting for me to leave the bar, they knew I was in the trailer. And yet, they went ahead with their plans. I shivered again.

The chief sighed. "Well. I guess I'd better call the arson investigators over in Shreveport. You know anyone with a grudge against Mr. Merlotte?"

I wondered if the chief was aware of Sam's shapeshifter status. He had to be. The bar had been full of people the night the shifters came out. All of them had seen my boss change into his favorite shape, a collie. Several bar patrons had changed as well. Aside from my former friend and co-worker Arlene, and her FotS boyfriend and his pals, the reveal had been mostly well received and business had not fallen off in the week since.

"Um...." I stammered.

"Sookie, we'll look into the folks at the FotS. They haven't used this tactic before, but I wouldn't put it past some of the more radical members. There's other hate groups out there too. Reminds me of the damn '60's with all the race riots and bombings. Hope it doesn't get that bad."

"Me, too." I said. Then at the last minute I added. "There was a waitress. Arlene Fowler. She's gotten all tied up in the FotS. She quit the night of the reveal. She was real angry at Sam." He wrote the name down on his little pad. On one hand, I felt bad telling him. Arlene had been my friend for years. But on the other hand, she wasn't anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

Driving home I noticed that I smelled of smoke again. Great. That meant another shower. I pulled into the driveway, got the mail from the box, and let myself in. The answering machine light was flashing. It was Sam. He was taking a flight out that would put him in Shreveport around 11. No need to pick him up, he'd left his car there. He wondered if I'd called Alan Dixon yet. Crap. The insurance agent. I read the note Bill had written down in his neat script and made the call. This being Friday, the agent said he would meet Sam at the bar on Monday morning.

I hit the shower, washing my hair for the fourth time in twenty-four hours. I pulled on sweats and threw the clothes I had worn the night before and those I had just taken off into the washer. There was leftover stew in the fridge and I had just taken it out of the microwave when the doorbell rang. I glanced out the window. The sun had set, so in addition to any human visitors, there were two other possibilities. I closed my eyes and tuned in to the connection I made a point to ignore as much as possible. Nothing. If it was a vampire at my door, it wasn't Eric.

I peered through the window. Bill stood on the porch, dressed in neatly pressed jeans and a dark blue henley, an oblong box under his arm. I opened the door.

"Hello, Sookie."

"Hi Bill."

"May I come in?" He could have walked right in since his invitation still stood. It was polite of him to ask.

"I was just about to eat dinner." When we were dating, Bill hadn't really enjoyed watching me eat.

"That's all right." He said now.

"Well, sure then, come in. What's in the box?"

He turned so I could see. Scrabble. I had to smile. When we were dating, we had enjoyed playing. I always lost, and it had eventually resulted in me purchasing a 'Word of the Day' calendar to expand my vocabulary. I had learned quite a few new words, but still I wondered if I had any chance of beating a 175 year old vampire.

"I thought we could play. It might take your mind off things."

"Okay. Would you like a True Blood?"

"If you have one."

Why do people say that? I thought, as I went to the kitchen to get his blood and my bowl of stew. If you _didn't _have it, would you offer, and then when they accepted say, oh sorry, I don't have any? I warmed it for thirty seconds in the microwave and took it back to the living room.

"Thank you." Bill said. He had already set up the board and my letters were waiting for me, face down.

I sat cross legged on the floor with the bowl in my lap and ate. Bill drank his True Blood and fiddled with his Scrabble letters. "Did you go back to the bar today?"

"Yeah, it isn't totally destroyed, but pretty close." I was quiet. "I told the fire chief about Arlene." Bill had been there the night she quit, so I knew I wouldn't have to explain.

"That must have been hard." Bill said. "To think of your friend that way."

I stared at him. Vampires don't really understand human emotions, and Bill used to be quite cold. But now, without prompting, he seemed to be acknowledging my disappointment and grief over losing a friend. "Yes." I admitted. "It was hard. But Arlene isn't the same person. She's changed. She really hasn't been my friend for a long time."

He didn't respond. There was no need. We played two games of Scrabble, and although he still beat me, I scored more points than I ever had before. I actually used 'bestial' (savagely cruel or wicked) and 'ennui' ( listlessness and distraction resulting from boredom). I was feeling quite proud of myself. I was about to go to the kitchen and get Bill another Tru Blood when the doorbell trilled again. This time I felt a surge of energy pulsing along the connection I shared with a certain Viking vampire. Crap. Eric was here.

Bill's vampire senses alerted him at the same moment. "I'll leave out the back door, if you'd like."

"That might be best."

"He'll still know I was here."

I nodded. I knew that. "He doesn't own me. He can't tell me who to talk to. Or play Scabble with." I smiled.

"Thank you for a lovely evening." Bill said. His cool lips touched my cheek briefly and he was gone.

I took a step toward the door and hesitated. Maybe I could pretend I wasn't home. Nope. That wouldn't work. I was sure Eric could hear the pounding of my heart where he stood. Or feel it. I could certainly feel his jealousy and lust . Crap. This was ridiculous. What was I afraid of? I went to the door and opened it.

"Hello Lover." Eric said, drawing out the word. "I heard about the fire. You are all right I see. Did I miss Mr. Compton yet again? I was so looking forward to kicking him out myself. Or watching you do it." He smirked and his blue eyes flashed.

"Bill was just checking on me." I retorted. "Luckily, he checked on me last night, too, as you probably already know."

"If we are keeping tally on the number of times your life has been saved, I believe I am still ahead."

Oh good grief. A vampire pissing contest. That's all it's ever been between the two of them. "What do you want, Eric?"

"You know exactly what I want, Sookie." His eyes flashed again and the raw lust hit me like a slap in the face. "I thought it was past time we had a little talk." He strolled into the living room, taking up space like a king or president, sucking all the air out of the room, even though he didn't breathe.

"I really don't think this is the time." I said. "I'm tired and it's been a long day."

"Perhaps we should just go to bed, then." He smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"I said I was tired, Eric. Look at me. Human here. Need to sleep."

He stepped toward me, ready, I knew, to take me in his arms and prove to me that I wasn't _that_ tired. He probably could. Yep. He definitely could. But just as he got close, the doorbell went off again.

Saved by the bell, I thought, ducking quickly past him to answer the door.

Sam stood on the porch, his eyes red-rimmed and tired, his reddish hair even more unruly than usual. I threw my arms around him. "Sam! Oh, Sam. I'm so glad you're home."

He hugged me to him fiercely. "And I am so glad you're safe. Sookie, you could have...."

"Stop Sam. I'm fine. Thanks to Bill. Lucky for me you asked him to watch things." Behind me, Eric cleared his throat loudly.

I let go of Sam, but took his hand, drawing him into the house behind me. "Eric, you remember Sam."

"Yes. Mr. Merlotte. So sorry to hear about the fire at your place of business. As a bar-owner myself, I can imagine your loss." Eric's voice oozed polite concern but impatience and frustration buzzed through the blood tie.

"That's why I have insurance." Sam said curtly. He had never really liked Eric.

"Did you drive by the bar yet?" I asked.

"No." Sam looked embarrassed. "I didn't want to go alone. I stopped to see if you'd mind coming with me, but since you have company..."

I looked from Sam to Eric and back. "I'll go with you. It's no problem." I said, relieved to have an excuse to get away from Eric, at least for now.

"Sookie." Eric said sharply. "What about our plans?"

"We didn't have any _plans_, Eric. You showed up unannounced on my doorstep. You could call first, you know."

"We need to talk. We _will_ talk." He said pointedly. "I will come back tomorrow. You will not put me off again."

"Thank you." I said, meaning it. I could tell that leaving was the last thing he wanted to do, but he was doing it for me, because I asked. That said something, although I wasn't sure what. Maybe that he cared about my feelings, or maybe just that he knew how stubborn I could be and especially with Sam here, he wouldn't win this particular battle..

I turned to Sam. "Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

We took Sam's truck, since it was parked behind Eric's latest sports car in the driveway. Sam drove with one hand on the wheel, the other restlessly tapping the seat between us.

"You seeing him?" He asked finally.

"No. Not really. I don't know." I sighed. I certainly wasn't 'seeing' Eric. This was the first time I had 'seen' him in over three weeks. _Feeling_ him, now that was another story. But I didn't even begin to know how to tell Sam about that.

"I don't trust him."

"I know." I wasn't always sure I did, either. I knew that Eric would never hurt me purposely. I knew that when I had been in harm's way he had done everything he could to help me. I also knew that the bond we shared was not of my choosing, and I wasn't sure that my feelings about him were really my own. Would I feel the same without the blood bond? How could I ever know for sure?

Sam slowed the car as we rounded the last curve. The parking lot lights and the moonlight lit the scene before us. "My God.." Sam whispered.

I instinctively reached over and covered his hand with my own.

He pulled up in his old spot near the trailed and shifted the truck into park. Unbuckling his seat belt, he opened the door, but stayed in the cab. "There's a flashlight under the seat. Could you get it for me?"

I felt around and located the light. "Maybe we should wait until it's daylight to go inside." I said, handing it to him.

"Sookie, I'm here now. I'm going in." He hopped down and turned on the light, heading toward the door. I quickly exited out my side and followed.

The fire department had strung crime scene tape across the entrance. Sam ripped it off and tried the door. Locked.

"Should you have torn that tape off? Maybe they don't want anyone in there."

"Sookie." Sam said flatly. "It's _my_ bar." He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket, found the right one and inserted it in the lock. The door swung open. A thin sheen of smoke still hung in the air, somewhere, water dripped.. The smell of burnt wood and melted plastic was overpowering. Sam lifted his arm, pressing a sleeve to his face. He shone the light around the bar room.

"My God." He said again. "I thought I had imagined the worst, but..."

"The chief said the structure is sound, from what they can tell. That's good, right?"

"Yes, Cher, that's good." He nodded.

He walked to the bar, glancing at the blackened barstools. He ran his hand along the edge of the bar. "Twelve years." He said softly.

Sam had never said much about when he bought the place, or how he came to be in Bon Temps. I let him talk.

"I walked in and sat down at this bar. Told the bartender 'nice place'. He said it was for sale. I offered. He accepted. Signed the papers a week later. Never regretted it. Not once. I made a home here. Made friends. Made a name for myself." He made his way around to the other side of the bar, kicking debris out of his way as he went. "Lots of memories in this place, eh Cher?"

"You bet." I choked out.

"Don't cry, Sookie." Sam, the one who had lost so much, comforting me. It only made me blubber harder.

"Come here." I walked behind the bar to him and he held me while I cried. I felt my hair dampen, and realized he was shedding a few tears of his own. We stood that way for a long time.

When we finally let go of each other, Sam pulled a bottle of whiskey off the shelf and found two intact glasses. He poured a finger in each glass and held one out to me. I'm not usually a whiskey drinker, but I took the glass.

"To memories." He clinked his glass against mine.

"To memories." I repeated. We tipped our glasses at the same time. I managed to swallow most of mine before I coughed.

Sam chuckled pouring himself another shot. He offered the bottle to me, but I shook my head. One of us needed to stay sober. If Sam wanted to drink, well, I couldn't blame him. He had one more shot, then said. "Okay, let's take the grand tour."

Using the flashlight to guide us, we took walked through the rest of the place. The restrooms had survived, but the storeroom, Sam's office, and the kitchen were, as the chief had warned me, a total loss. I showed Sam the security light.

"Someone did this on purpose?" He growled.

"The chief thinks so. He's having the arson investigator come over from Shreveport."

"Who would want to burn my place down, Cher?"

I looked at him, and for once someone else read _my_ mind.

"Arlene?" Sam shook his head. "I know she was mad, but....Sookie, she was the first waitress I hired. She's worked here since the day Merlotte's opened. We were friends."

"Were, Sam. Did you see the look on her face when you changed? I've never seen such hatred."

Sam shook his head. "I can't believe she would be a party to something like this."

"I can." I said, sadly.

Sam glanced around the back. He took in the gaping hole that gave a clear view of the remains of his bedroom in the trailer.

"Where were you?" Sam asked.

"What?"

"When the fire started? Where were you?"

"In there." I said Sam's eyes widened. "I had closed the bar and gone to the office to do the food order. It was late, and I was so tired. I didn't think you'd mind if I rested a bit in the trailer. So I went and lay down. The next thing I knew, Bill was there. He got me out."

"Thank God." Sam embraced me again. "If anything had happened to you..." He paused. "I don't think I would ever get over it." He held me out at arms length and looked at me. "Do you know how important you are to me?"

I did, on one level. But I didn't think that was what Sam meant. Still, I nodded. "Yes."

"I don't think you do, Cher. And that's my fault. I've stood back and watched you first with Bill, then with the Were and that Tiger. But this...." He looked at the destruction all around us. "This and what happened with Mom, it puts it all in perspective."

My heart beat fast against my ribs. What was he saying?

"Sookie, I love you. I've loved you for years. I think you have feelings for me, too. I know you aren't really sure about things. I don't think you know what you want. Part of you still cares for Bill, am I right?"

Almost surprising myself, I nodded again.

"And there's something going on with Northman, too."

"Sam,..." I began. But he held up a hand to stop me.

"I'm not asking you to make any kind of a decision. It's just way past time that I laid my cards on the table." He shrugged. "I will always be your friend, no matter whether it's the cornerstone for something more, or if it's all you want from me. I will always be your friend and you will always have a job here as long as you want it."

He let out his breath in a whoosh, as if he'd been holding it a long time. Maybe he had. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. I'm getting better at that. Evidently, it was okay with Sam.

"I should get you home." He led the way back through the bar and locked the door behind us, replacing the crime scene tape as best he could..

As we got into the truck something occurred to me. "Where are you going to stay?"

"I'll get a room at the Highway 1, at least for tonight, I guess."

"No, you won't. You'll stay with me." I insisted. I knew no matter his feelings, Sam would never do anything inappropriate and The Highway 1 was not a five star hotel, to say the least.

"I don't want to put you out."

"What was that you were saying back there about always being my friend? Well, I'm yours, too. And friends don't let friends stay in a shitty motel when they have plenty of room."

"Okay." Sam smiled.

He parked the truck in the driveway and hauled a battered duffel bag out from behind his seat. Shutting and locking the doors he followed me up to the porch. I dug through my pockets until I found the house key.

"Hello, Sookie. Sam."

I jumped. "Bill. Dammit. I hate it when you do that." I chided him.

"Sorry. I forget." He said. But he smiled in a way that let me know he was amused that he had startled me.

"Sam. Glad you're back."

"Thanks for keeping an eye on things." Sam said. "And for keeping our girl safe."

Our girl? I was touched and annoyed at the same time. "Um, guys, are you coming in, or what?" I held the door open and Sam and Bill both went in ahead of me.

"Listen," I said. "You two can stay up and chat if you want, but I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."

"I just wanted to be sure you were all right." Bill said.

"You wanted to see if Eric was still here." I countered.

Bill's fangs slid out slightly. "Perhaps." He admitted.

"That's really not your business, is it?" I snapped. I was a little tired of being looked after by my ex-boyfriend..

Sam looked back and forth from Bill to me with an amused look on his face. Evidently deciding it would be best to let us hash this out alone he walked past me. "I think I'll take a shower, if that's okay."

"Sure. Towels are in the cupboard by the sink." I turned back to Bill. "Eric's gone. He left and I went to the bar with Sam."

"He'll be back."

"No kidding. He's at least as persistent as you are."

"You have not even seen my persistence yet." Bill said. And with that he took a step forward, bent his head to mine and kissed me. His cool lips pressed gently against mine. Without thinking, I kissed him back. His hands stroked my arms softly and I leaned in. Suddenly my brain kicked in and I pulled away.

"What do you think you're doing!?" I sputtered. "You've got no business kissing me."

"Sookie, of course I do." He spoke softly, but with a determination I remembered well from our time together. "I love you. I want to be with you. I have tried talking to you, reasoning with you, apologizing to you. And I meant every word." He went on quickly, not allowing me to break in. "I know how it must have seemed to you when Eric made me tell you about my assignment from Sophie Ann, I know how hurt you were. I will never ever forget that. I live that pain every day. But Darling, I have loved you practically from the day we met. There is no one who has ever touched my heart the way you have. I kissed you just now to see if you had any feelings left for me." He smiled now. "I think you do."

"Bill." I protested. "That was just a gut reaction to..."

"Exactly." He smiled again. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Sookie. Sweet dreams." He left me standing there with my mouth hanging open. Crap.


	5. Chapter 5

No way was I going to sleep now. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Damn men. Damn vampires. Damn whoever had burned down Merlotte's. Now I couldn't even depend on work to keep me busy and keep my mind off of things. At least Sam was settled in Amelia's room. He had protested, saying he would sleep on the couch, but I told him she wasn't coming back until Monday and we could just change the sheets before then.

I glanced out the living room window. Bill had evidently gone home for real. I knew he sometimes stood guard outside my house. I had seen him often, standing just on the edge of the woods, eyes trained expertly for any signs of danger. At times it annoyed me, but mostly, even when I was at my angriest, it made me feel safe. Bill had said once that he would give his life for me. I never doubted that he would, if it came to that.

Then there was Eric. I knew that when he returned I would not be able to put him off any longer. He wanted to talk about the time we spent together when he had amnesia from a witch's spell. During that time we were lovers, and for a long time, those memories remained lost to him. Now that he had recovered them, he was anxious for us to discuss things at length. I suppose he deserved that much. Truthfully, I was still angry about the blood bond Eric had forged between us. Even though it seemed unavoidable at the time, I found myself wondering more and more whether things might have been handled another way.

I wandered out into the kitchen and opened the fridge. I wasn't hungry, but maybe some warm milk, or better yet, hot chocolate, would make me sleepy. The milk was heating on the stove when the phone rang. I picked it up quickly, hoping it hadn't woke Sam.

"Sookie?" Pam's husky pleasant voice came over the line. "I am so sorry to interrupt, but there's been an incident and I need to talk to Eric."

"Eric left hours ago, Pam."

"He did?" She sounded shocked. It's hard to shock a vampire. It's harder to shock Pam. "I just assumed...."

"So he isn't back?"

"Obviously not." She said. I could just see her eyes roll. Ah. That was the Pam I knew.

Maybe Eric had felt some of my confusion over Sam's revelation, or somehow knew that Bill had kissed me and turned around to come back. I tried to tune in to the hum of connection I always felt when Eric was near. Nothing. He wasn't close by.

"I can't feel him." I told Pam. "So he isn't anywhere around here. He should have been back in Shreveport by now."

"I'll call you back." She said and hung up.

Now that was strange. What had Pam said... 'there's been an incident'. What kind of incident, I wondered? Pam was good at handling things at Fangtasia. Something unusual must have happened. She was loathe to call Eric for help when he was away. Sighing, I poured the hot milk into a mug I had loaded with Nestle and stirred. Settling into the couch, I picked up the remote and turned on the television.

The announcer's voice filled the living room. "An Action News exclusive tomorrow morning. Hear from the hero of tonight's attempted bombing at a local vampire bar. We're there first at 6 a.m." Of course the tease was all I got. It was past time for the late local news. Damned if I would wait for morning to know what happened. I checked caller i.d. and dialed Pam back.

"Sookie. I told you I would call you." Pam was irritated.

"What's this about a bombing?"

"Nothing happened. One of the customers found a bomb. The bomb squad came. It never went off. No problem."

"Did you find Eric?"

"He isn't answering his phone. I called and sent a text message." Was it my imagination or did Pam sound....worried?

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"No. I'll call you if I hear from him."

"Same here." I hung up the phone. My hot chocolate was cold and truth be told I'd lost my appetite. I wasn't worried exactly. I mean. Eric is a vampire. There isn't much that could hurt him. He was probably off somewhere, sulking because I had sent him away. I checked the front door to be sure it was locked and went to bed.

I slept fitfully. When I woke, wonderful smells lured me to the kitchen. Sam stood at the stove, turning bacon that was frying in one skillet, and expertly stirring eggs and potatoes in another.

"I never knew you were so talented." I said, stifling a yawn.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Cher." Sam smiled and motioned to the table. "Sit." Toast popped up from the toaster and he topped it with butter and slid it into the oven to stay warm.

I sat and a cup of coffee appeared before me seconds later, followed by orange juice, freshly squeezed. I sipped the coffee. It was good. Bartenders make the best coffee. "To what do I owe this feast?"

"I wanted to thank you for running the place while I was gone, and for giving me a place to stay last night." Sam said, sliding the eggs and 'taters onto two plates. He added bacon and toast and sat down across from me. "Eat."

"Thank you." I said. I realized I was starving and I began to eat with relish. Everything was delicious. "When did you learn to cook like this?"

"Sookie, it's just eggs." Sam smiled.

Most of the guys I dated couldn't cook eggs. I thought. Heck, most of the guys I dated didn't eat food, much less cook it. "They're very good."

"I'm glad you like it."

We ate our breakfast in the quiet kitchen, trading sections of the paper back and forth, with the sun streaming through the window. Sam poured us both a second cup of coffee. I would never do this with Bill, or with Eric, I thought, sadly. We would never be able to share this simple human time together. I swallowed the lump in my throat and chased it down with a sip of coffee.

"Did you see this?" Sam asked, pointing to a short column at the bottom of the front page.

_**Tragedy Avoided at Vampire Bar**_the headline announced. I snatched the paper out of his hand and read aloud: "_A bombing was thwarted last night by an observant 'client' at the local vampire bar and fangbanger hang-out, Fangtasia. Shreveport resident Bart Reynolds was in the restroom when he noticed the tank lid was askew. Upon lifting it up to replace it, he found a crude homemade bomb. He notified the management, the bar was evacuated, and the bomb squad dismantled the explosives. "This could have injured or killed a lot of people." Stated Sgt. Bradley Pierce of the Shreveport Police Department. "Someone obviously wanted to send a message." Luckily, and thanks to a local hero, no one was injured. The investigation continues. Fangtasia will reopen tonight."_

"They were lucky." Sam noted.

"Yes." I said, wondering if Eric had ever returned. I was sure he would go home to take his rest. Most vampires are fairly habitual and secretive about their resting places, Eric was no exception.

"Sookie," Sam said quietly. "Someone sets a fire at Merlotte's and the very next night there's a bomb at Fangtasia. Do you think it's a coincidence? Seems a bit odd to me."

I got a cold chill on the back of my neck and a sick feeling in my too-full stomach. "Someone is going after supes." I said. It wasn't a question.

"Or businesses owned by supes." Sam said. "No one's been hurt. Yet."

"Pam called here last night looking for Eric."

"He left when we did, didn't he?" Sam began clearing the dishes.

"Here, you cooked, let me." I took the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

"Yeah, Eric was right behind us." I watched in the side mirror as we drove away. I didn't want any surprises when I returned. He had followed us part way to Merlotte's then turned off toward Shreveport. He should have been back at Fangtasia long before Sam and I got home.

"You're worried about him?" Sam snorted. "If anyone can take care of themselves it's him, Sookie."

I nodded, but the pit of my stomach disagreed. Well, there was no way of knowing whether he had returned or not until sunset. Since Sam didn't seem to be feeling sympathetic I decided to change the subject. "What are you doing today?"

"I called Alan this morning and told him I wanted to meet today, rather than wait until Monday. He was free, so he agreed. I'm headed out in a few minutes." Sam said. "The fire chief called on my cell and said that the arson investigators would be here today, too. He wants to get your statement since you were the last one there."

"When will he be here?"

"I'm not sure. I'm going to head over and see if I can salvage anything from the trailer. I'll call you when he gets there."

"Okay."

Sam came and stood beside me at the sink. "Sookie, don't worry about Eric. I'm sure he's fine."

"You're probably right." I went back to washing the pans and Sam left. After the pans were dried and put away, I decided this was as good a time as any to clean the kitchen. That done, I headed on to the bathroom, scrubbing down the tub and shower, and then to my bedroom. I stripped the bed, threw the sheets in the washer and hung the comforter out on the line to air. What can I say? I was still worried, but the house was clean.

I had just stepped out of the shower when the phone rang. It was Sam. The arson investigator was there. I dressed quickly in my nicest pair of jeans and a pink blouse. Since my pedicure had seen better days, I wore sneakers instead of my sandals. I walked into what was left of Merlotte's twenty minutes later.

Sam was behind the bar, a yellow legal pad in his hand, talking to the fire chief and another man and taking notes. A tall dark haired man approached, holding out his hand. "Miss Stackhouse?" He asked politely.

"Yes." I shook his hand. He was quite handsome, with deep green eyes the shade of river water and a slightly chipped front tooth that lended just the right amount of imperfection to an otherwise perfect face.

"I'm Damian Ross from the Shreveport Fire Department. I'm an arson investigator. May I ask you a few questions?"

I answered his questions about that evening, when I had closed, what I was doing, if I had noticed anything suspicious.

"I'm almost done." He said finally. "Just a couple more questions. Who is Arlene Fowler?"

I swallowed. I hated this. I hated that my friend was no longer my friend and I hated thinking that she might be implicated in burning down the place where we had worked together.

"Miss Stackhouse? Is there a reason you mentioned her name to Chief Bailey?"

Clearing my throat I said. "Yes. Arlene is ...was a waitress here. She quit the night the shifters came out." I paused. Did the detective know about Sam? "She's gotten involved with the Fellowship of the Sun, the anti-vampire church."

"What does that have to do with Merlotte's?"

He didn't know. Was it my place to tell him? Well, it was public knowledge, people had seen it. It was just the first time _**I **_had said it publically. "Sam Merlotte, the man who owns the bar, is a shapeshifter. He came out that night, and Arlene was furious that she had worked here for years not knowing."

He didn't react to the news about Sam. "So she felt betrayed?"

"I don't know what she felt. We don't talk anymore."

"Do you think Ms. Fowler is capable of an act of violence like this?"

"I don't know. Maybe not her, but people she hangs around with, yes."

"Names?" He prompted.

I told him those I knew.

"And she knows the layout of the bar well, I assume."

"Well, yeah. She worked here for over ten years."

"Ok, one more question and you can go. A Mr...." He glanced at his notes. "William Compton called in the 911. I understand he also came to your rescue, is this correct?"

"Yes."

"And your relationship to him is...."

I didn't see how that was any of his business but I answered anyway. "He's my ex-boyfriend. Sam asked him to keep an eye on the bar while he was away."

"I need to speak with him. Do you have a number where he can be reached?"

"Yes, but you can't talk to him right now."

"Why? Is he working?"

"No, sleeping."

"So, he works at night?"

You might say that. "He's a vampire."

"Oh."

That shocked him more than Sam. I had to know what he was thinking. _Why do all the girls go gaga over vampires? I wish I could get a date with her._ I quickly slammed that door shut. The last thing I needed at this point was another suitor.

"Okay, I guess that's all." He said finally. "I will take that number and call him later."

I rattled off the number and he wrote it down in his little book.

"It's been nice meeting you, Miss Stackhouse."

"You, too." Why did I say that? It wasn't nice. I only met him because the place where I worked, my only source of income, had been deliberately set on fire. Oh well. That wasn't his fault. And he did have pretty green eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

I ran to the bank before they closed, ordered some new checks and got some money. I would have to wait until Monday to get the driver's license though, the BMV wasn't open on Saturday. I stopped at the grocery on the way home and picked up a couple of steaks, potatoes, and some charcoal for the grill. Sam was spending the day sorting through the ruins of his bar. He'd made me breakfast, the least I could do was cook dinner.

I heard Sam's truck in the driveway just as I put the potatoes in the oven. He knocked before coming in the back door to the kitchen. He looked like a coal miner. Soot covered him from head to toe. He was exhausted. His eyes met mine and for the first time I saw real grief. Reality was sinking in, and reality sucked at the moment.

"Turn around." He said. "I'm going to strip down to my underwear and run to the shower. I don't want to track all this through your house."

Sam was forgetting I had seen it all before. But I did as he asked. When I heard the shower, I picked his clothes up off the floor and tossed them into the washer. I would run it later. He probably didn't have a lot of clothes to spare.

By the time Sam came downstairs in fresh jeans and a white t-shirt, his hair in damp ringlets. I had the grill fired up and the steaks ready to go on. "There's beer in the fridge if you want one." I told him.

"Thanks."

Sam got a beer and came out on the back stoop. Sitting down he popped the cap and took a sip.

"I did some calculating today. It's going to be at least three or four months before we're up and running again." He took another swig from the bottle. "The insurance agent is going to do his best, but whenever it's arson, they have to look into every possibility."

"Including whether or not you burned your own bar down?" I sniped.

"Cher, they have to check into it. People do that, you know." He finished the beer in one long drag. "Look on the bright side. At least I don't have to worry about finding a replacement for Arlene right away. And the insurance money is good. Once it comes through, you won't have to worry. I can't pay you salary plus what you'd earn in tips, but the salary alone shouldn't be a problem."

"I'm okay for awhile, Sam." I assured him. "With Amelia and Octavia paying rent of a sort, I can manage."

"I don't want to lose you to some other bar." Sam grinned. He knew that wasn't going to happen.

"If I have to find something for awhile, there's always the Denny's out on the highway. Lots of truckers. Good tippers." I joked.

"One other thing that's good," Sam said. "I'll be able to make some improvements, do some things different. I think the place really will be better when we're done. Maybe you could help me come up with some ideas."

I had often thought that some rearranging might make it easier to get people in and out and deliver food and drinks. "Sure." I said.

"Maybe I'll even put in that patio. Be nice to have a spot outdoors for people to sit."

"Means another bartender. Maybe another waitress, too." I reminded him of the reasons he always gave for not expanding.

"Yeah, but I think we could handle it."

Sam was being awfully free with the use of the 'we' word. After his confession the night before, it made me feel funny. At the same time, it seemed perfectly natural. Just what I needed: more confusion. Food to the rescue. "The steaks are done." I announced.

I took the potatoes out of the oven and grabbed the bowl with the salad I made earlier. Sam got another beer for himself and one for me. We ate at the picnic table in the backyard as the sun slowly slipped beyond the horizon leaving bright wispy streaks of red and purple in the evening sky.

Sam insisted on clearing the dishes, so I sat alone for a bit, listening to the sounds of the crickets and the breeze moving through the pines at the edge of the yard. Bill's house loomed in the distance. He'd be awake now. I wondered if I would get a visit tonight. It wasn't a completely unpleasant thought. Eric should be wakening as well. If he had returned. I pushed the panicky thoughts away. Of course he returned. Where else would he be?

"Sookie."

Dammitt. "Bill." I said, my voice a warning. "Do you enjoy shortening my human life by scaring the bejeezus out of me every chance you get?"

"No." He said. His lips curved upward in a slight smile. He lowered his head and looked at me through long lashes. "Well, maybe."

That made me smile too. "You might as well sit." I indicated the bench opposite me, but Bill sat beside me instead. I caught a glance from Sam in the window, eyebrows raised. I nodded that it was okay, and he went back to his tasks in the kitchen.

"I just got off the phone with the arson investigator."

"Sorry," I said. "I had to give him your number."

"I expected it." Bill said. "He was inquisitive but very polite."

"He seemed nice." I admitted.

"He asked a lot of questions about Sam. How well did I know him? Did he have any financial problems? That sort of thing."

Anger seethed but I managed to keep my voice even. "I suppose he has to ask those kind of questions. Everyone's a suspect."

"He asked about you, too."

"Me?"

"He asked what the nature of your relationship with Sam was."

Now I was pissed. "Why didn't he ask me?" I almost shouted.

"Sookie, I don't know." Bill said. "He actually seemed more interested in what I thought your relationship was."

"Oh." So he didn't suspect me, he suspected Bill. "Sorry about that." I could feel my face redden. "I told him you were my ex-boyfriend. I suppose he thought that if you thought there was something going on between Sam and me, you might...."

"It's alright. I told him that to my knowledge, you and Sam were friends, nothing more."

"Yeah." I nodded. For the first time I noticed the box Bill carried. It wasn't Scrabble. "What's that?"

He slid it across the table. "It's something I thought you could use."

I looked at him. Bill wasn't much on gifts, even when we were dating. He was awkward at it, and his timing stunk. So, although his intentions were always good, results often weren't. I opened the box. "A laptop? Bill, I can't take this...this costs too much...you aren't, I mean, we aren't even dating."

"It's not brand new." Bill said quickly. "I got a new one for myself and so I reformatted this one for you. It's only about two years old. I've erased and rebooted the hard drive and added some programs I thought you might use. There's one for recipes, and one for photos. It's all ready for e-mail and internet access, too."

I ran my hand over the surface and found a button. The lid popped open. "Bill, it's very nice of you." I said. "But I..."

"Sookie. No strings. I just thought you would enjoy it. You could e-mail and surf the web. There's all kinds of interesting stuff out there. If you picked up a scanner, you could put all those pictures you have stuffed in shoe boxes in a photo album right on the computer. You can make a slide show and everything."

"I don't know how to do any of that."

"I could show you. Sookie, it's easy."

It would be nice. Sometimes I thought I was the only person in Louisiana who didn't have an e-mail address and Facebook page. And it wasn't like it was brand new. What would Bill do with it if I didn't take it? He was looking at me hoping I would accept his gift, and accept his help, and maybe accept him into my heart again. I didn't know about the last part, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to accept his gift.

"Thank you." I said finally.

He smiled and began to talk excitedly. "I checked and I think you can pick up the wireless signal from my place. There isn't much to interfere with it out here. We can get you set up with an e-mail account right now, if you'd like." He took the computer from me and set it on the table. He hit a few keys and a browser popped up. Ten minutes later, I had an e-mail account with a password, and I knew how to access my checking and savings accounts online. Bill was a good teacher.

Sam had joined us with another beer and a Tru Blood for Bill. He and Bill were deep in a discussion about the possibility of a website for the bar when things were up and running again. Bill was explaining the process of designing a web page when his cell phone trilled.

"Hello. No. Yes, she's right here, do you want to talk to her? Alright." Bill handed the phone to me. "It's Pam."

My heart fluttered in my chest. Pam calling instead of Eric couldn't be good. I took the phone. "He isn't back." I said.

"No. But I think I know where he is." Pam sounded dull. Her voice was heavy and devoid of its usual spark.

"Where?"

"I can't talk about this over the phone. Have Bill bring you to Fangtasia."

"I can drive myself."

"I think it's best if Bill brings you."

"Why?"

"Sookie, I don't have time to explain. Do whatever you want." The phone went dead. Pam had hung up on me.

I handed the phone back to Bill. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Eric never got back last night. He still isn't back. Pam says she knows where he is, but she won't tell me over the phone. She said you should bring me to Fangtasia."

Bill didn't hesitate. "I'll get the car."

"I'm coming, too." Sam announced.

"Sam, there's no reason..."

"I've always wanted to see Fangtasia." Sam said, smiling.

Oh, what the hell. Might as well make it a party.


	7. Chapter 7

We went in through the front entrance so that Sam could get the full effect of Fangtasia. His eyes widened as he saw the line of people waiting to get in. I hoped it didn't give him any ideas. I wasn't sure a 'Shifter Bar' would draw the same sort of crowd. The line was long, but Bill maneuvered us to the front quickly. The vampire at the door tonight was a tall, voluptuous redhead in a green velvet sheath that hugged all of her curves. She looked Sam up and down appreciatively.

"Well hello there. Aren't you a handsome boy." She leaned in towards Sam, giving him a good view of her considerable cleavage and allowing her fangs to show her interest.

"Sorry, Lily. Business, tonight, not pleasure." Bill said. "We're here to see Pam."

"Of course. Neil, take the door please." A young vampire with blond hair and the palest blue eyes took over the reception area. Lily turned back to us. "Come."

She walked through the bar slowly, swaying her hips a little more for Sam's benefit. Lily stopped at the office door, knocking twice.

"What is it?" Sookie heard Pam's voice.

"Miss Stackhouse and her entourage have arrived."

"Entourage?" Pam came to the door. "Ah. You brought the shifter, too. Very well, come in."

To put it bluntly, Pam looked like hell. She wore no make-up, her hair was pulled back in a ragged ponytail and instead of her usual Fangtasia attire, she wore jeans and a purple LSU sweatshirt. She looked every bit like a coed with a really bad hangover.

"Sit." She motioned to the couch along Eric's office wall.

"I'll stand, thanks." Sam said. He folded his arms and leaned against the door.

"Suit yourself." Pam paced in front of Eric's empty desk.

I sat, nervously clenching and unclenching my hands. Bill sat next to me, close enough to give me some security, but not too close. I couldn't feel Eric. Nothing. Not even a twinge. It was unnerving to say the least. Where was he?.

"What's going on Pam?" I asked. "Where's Eric?"

Pam continued to pace.

"Pam." Bill's voice seemed to startle her. "You asked Sookie to come. Tell her, tell all of us what's going on."

"Yash-Ar is here." Pam said. "Eric has been called."

"What?!" Bill was a blur as he shot up from the couch and grabbed Pam by both shoulders, shaking her. Pam's fangs shot out and she shoved Bill away so hard that he lost his balance and fell against the wall. Quickly Sam stepped between me and the two vampires who now faced each other, fangs out.

"How can that be? That monster was destroyed over one hundred years ago." Bill growled. "He is no more."

"No." Pam shook her head. "Eric just told people that."

"Eric just _told _people that?" Bill sank back onto the couch beside me, mumbling something about an arrogant bastard. Gee, I thought. I wonder who he's referring to? I'd had about enough of this. Pam asks me to come here and then starts babbling on about something I don't understand.

"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on? Who the hell is Yasser or whatever his name is?"

Pam turned to me, her face a mask once again. "Yash-Ar is also known as The Egyptian. He is the one who walks the day. The one who lives forever." She recited. "The Immortal One." She gave a slight bow. "He is also my maker's maker."

Her maker's maker? Eric's maker? I knew about makers. I knew what they could do. I'd learned that from Bill. My head started to spin. My stomach lurched. All this mumbo jumbo meant nothing to me, but Bill's distress was obvious. I turned to him, hoping for more details than Pam was providing.

"Bill, who is this guy?"

Bill glanced at Sam, then sat down beside me. "Think of the worst vampire you've ever come into contact with." He said.

Gosh. There were so many to choose from. I settled on a combo of Andre and Lorena. "Okay, now what?"

"Multiply it by a thousand."

There went my stomach again.

"Yash-Ar is evil. Period. He is over two-thousand years old and there is not one minuscule spark of humanity left, nor any moral center. It was difficult to find information on him or his offspring when I was researching the database." Bill shook his head. "There is much secrecy and superstition in that corner of the world and many of our kind simply chose to remain hidden rather than reveal themselves. Legend says that he is so ancient he can keep his powers and walk about during the day. But supposedly, Yash-Ar was destroyed in an uprising, killed by his own followers. I do know he made numerous children, and kept many of them as his vassals or slaves. Eric is but one of these, albeit one of the oldest and most powerful of those who have survived. I do not know Eric's personal history with his maker. Pam?"

"Eric has not shared that information."

"Where is he?" I asked. "How did he get Eric?"

Pam rolled her eyes. "He called him, of course. He is in New Orleans. He hasn't been here long as far as I can tell. I think Eric has sensed something for awhile. He has been nervous. Jumpy. Very un-Ericlike. He left me instructions on what to do if this happened." She handed me an envelope.

"Plane tickets?" I stared at her. "Paris? Why would I go to Paris?" I glanced in the envelope again. "And who am I supposed to take with me? There are two tickets here."

"You need to leave. Eric thought that was someplace you might like to see. As to who you take, I believe he wished you to take Octavia, or perhaps Bill. Someone experienced who could protect you."

"I'm not going anywhere." I said flatly.

"Eric anticipated that reaction. I have instructions for that, too." Pam said with a slight smile. This time she handed Bill the envelope. His was thicker. He drew out a map, heavy and folded many times, and a computer disc. A note fluttered to the floor. He stooped to pick it up. I hadn't known it was possible for a vampire to turn pale, but any color present in Bill's face vanished as he read the note from Eric.

"A blood bond?" Bill was furious. He glared at Pam. "Eric knew about this? About _him, _and still he forged a blood bond with her? I swear I will stake him myself." Bill was the one pacing now, covering the room in long strides. "He possesses unbelievable arrogance. Has he learned nothing in a thousand years?"

Sam looked from Bill to me to Pam. "What is he talking about Sookie? What blood bond?"

I leaned back into the cushions and closed my eyes. Without opening them, I explained to Sam, and to Bill too, since he didn't know the whole story, the origins of the blood bond between Eric and I. "Bill, can't you see?" I asked, opening my eyes. "Eric didn't have a choice. Would you rather have me bonded to Andre?"

"Andre is dead."

"Well, he wasn't then." I snapped. God he could be unreasonable.

"I never would have put you in that position." Bill said emphatically. "Never."

"Oh, shut up, Bill. If it had been you in that situation you would have done the same thing." Pam said. "Or would you have let Andre possess her? "

"Hey!" Sam yelled. "Stop arguing about who would've done what to whom and finish telling me what the hell this blood bond does." He sat next to me on the couch. "Tell me, Sookie. What does it mean?"

Quietly, I explained what I understood of its effects. "So basically, I can feel Eric's emotions, and he can feel mine." I looked at Pam. "Is that about right?"

"Yes." Pam hesitated.

"Go ahead." Bill snarled. "Tell her the rest. Or should I?"

Pam stared at me for a long moment. "When a blood bond is forged between a vampire and a human, that bond exists only between the two of them, unless..."

"Unless what?" For the third time that night my stomach lurched violently. I was sure I didn't want to hear what was coming. I swallowed hard.

"Unless that vampire's maker wishes to attach to the bond as well." My confusion must have shown because Pam changed course. "If I had a blood bond with someone, and Eric wanted it, since he and I are connected by blood also, he could join in that bond and together we would have much more control over the person we were bonded to. It doesn't happen often. Most vampires never forge a blood bond at all. This kind is especially complicated."

"Tell her why." Bill demanded. I had never seen him so angry.

"The influx of emotions from disparate sources causes most humans to simply go insane." Pam shrugged.

So not only was I bonded to Eric, which was bad enough, but I was also bonded to the badass vampire of all time and he could control me, or if I was lucky, the whole thing might just drive me insane. My stomach had reached the end of its patience. I covered my mouth with my hand and staggered into the bathroom. I made it as far as the sink before heaving.


	8. Chapter 8

I was lying on the couch In Eric's office with a cold wet cloth on my forehead. Sam sat on the floor beside me, a glass of ginger ale in his hand. Bill was hunched over Eric's desk, the map from his package spread out before him. Pam was nowhere to be seen.

"Take another sip Cher."

I eased up and took the glass, sipping obediently.

"Feeling any better?"

"My stomach feels better." I said. "But I can't think straight. What am I supposed to do?" My heart was pounding. I had been in a lot of bad situations, but this was stacking up to be one of the worst.

Sam lowered his voice to a whisper. "Come away with me, Sookie. There's nothing keeping us in Bon Temps. I've got some money saved, and I could sell the rentals. There are people who could help us, people like me. I know we could both get work somewhere. I'll keep you safe, Cher."

Oh Sam, sweet Sam. His offer opened the floodgates. I lowered my head and sobbed. "I don't want to run away. I love Bon Temps. I love my house. I love Amelia and Octavia. I love the bar. Oh, Sam, I love my life! I don't want to be anywhere else."

Sam patted my back and let me cry. "I know, I know. But we have to keep you safe until..."

"Until what? Until the badass two-thousand year old vampire keels over? Come on. If he's survived this long who's going to kill him?" I was mad. This was my life. Damn Eric and his damn blood bond. Why had I ever agreed? Bill was right, Andre would have been better, he was easy enough for Quinn to kill. Hell, Niall offered to kill Eric for me, I'm sure he would have killed Andre. And I would have let him.

Bill crouched down next to Sam. "The map shows the way to a safe house."

"No." I said. "I am going home. Take me home now." I didn't think I could handle it if Bill agreed with Sam and they refused to take me back to Bon Temps.

"Yes, I think we should take you home." Bill nodded.

"What? Are you nuts?" Sam sputtered.

"You and I will stay with Sookie tonight. We will contact others, I'm sure some of the weres would be willing to help during the day. I'll get Bubba and Clancy to be outside at night, as well. We'll do that for a few days and see what happens."

"You're trying to draw this monster out, aren't you?" Sam was angry. "You're using Sookie as bait." Sam looked like he wanted to hit Bill, which wouldn't be a good idea. Sam knew that as well as I did. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared Bill down instead.

"If we can't get to him, she's going to be in danger for the rest of her life. Hiding. Moving from place to place. Is that what you want for her, Sam, really?"

"It isn't what I want, Sam." I said. "I want to go home."

Sam ran a hand through his hair and stood. "Well, alright then. I'll make some calls."

Bill turned to me. "Do you know where Octavia is staying?"

"She left a number, but I don't have it with me. It's back at the house."

"Okay. We'll call her. Hopefully she can do a ward on the house long distance." He took my hand. "One other thing."

"What?" What else could there possibly be?

"Sookie, you cannot trust the blood bond. You can't know for sure if it's Eric."

"I can't feel anything anyway." I said.

"I think you will eventually. If they join, if Yash-Ar forces the dual bond, it will grow stronger. It may feel like Eric is close, when he isn't. If they get very close, we should know."

"Because I'll feel both of them." I shivered.

"Yes." Bill squeezed my hand. "Sookie, I would give anything if this wasn't happening to you."

I squeezed back. "I know." Suddenly, I thought of something. "Bill, how does Yash-Ar force the dual bond? I mean, Eric wouldn't do it willingly, right?"

"No, no, I don't think so. Eric has a great deal of fortitude, and as much as it pains me to admit, he genuinely cares for you." Bill said. "When your maker asks you to do something, it is possible to resist."

"Like you, refusing to tell Lorena about me."

"Yes. I think Eric would make an effort, but...to compare Lorena to Yash-Ar is like comparing a kitten to a tiger."

"So he'll torture him."

"Oh yes." Bill nodded.

The tears started again and I made no effort to stop them. Bill kept my hand in both of his, stroking my fingers.

Sam had been talking on his phone in the corner. He snapped it shut and sat beside me. "Calvin is rounding up a crew for tomorrow. They'll work out shifts so that two or three of them are always there. He says to take care and not worry."

"Thanks." I sniffled. "Can we go home now?"

"I'll get the car and pull around to the back." Bill said and was gone.

Pam had returned, dressed for the bar in her usual Elvira inspired attire. She leaned on Eric's desk, motionless. I couldn't read her expression or imagine what she was thinking. She and Eric had been together for a long time. I didn't know what his maker's return would mean for her.

"We're going to go now, Pam."

"Good." She said. "I think it's probably best if we don't contact each other. Eric may summon me." She shuddered. "I would have to go. I'd rather not be able to tell them where you are."

That sounded like a good idea to me. I was certain that Eric would endure a great deal before he would reveal any information, but I was just as certain that Pam would give me up in an instant to save herself or Eric and consider me nothing but collateral damage.

If someone had asked as we left Fangtasia. I would have told them I would never sleep again, but I dozed off in the back seat of the car and didn't wake up until Bill pulled into my driveway.

The nasty side effect was that I was lying in bed, wide awake, several hours later. After rolling and tossing and picturing Eric being tortured in all kinds of horrible ways, I finally got up, threw on my robe and went downstairs. Bill was on the couch with the laptop. He looked up. "It's late." He said. "You should be sleeping."

"I can't."

He patted the couch beside him. I sat, curling my legs under me.

"I can't help but wonder what that monster is doing to Eric." I said.

"Eric is tough. Tougher than even you imagine, I think." He gazed at me for a long moment. "It isn't his toughness you're questioning, is it, Sookie?"

I shook my head. Tears threatened again, but I held them back. I was ashamed of myself for doubting Eric. I knew on some level he loved me. I just wasn't sure if that was enough. Bill wasn't really the one I needed to talk to about this, but he was here. "I just don't know." Was all I managed to choke out.

"As I said, I do not doubt that Eric cares for you. He cares more for you than he ever has for any human, I'm sure."

That was a lot coming from Bill. "I hear a 'but' coming." I sniffed.

"Eric has been a vampire for a thousand years." Bill said slowly. "He has not lived that long by making choices based on emotion. Neither has Yash-Ar. Eric is a businessman and a good negotiator."

"So they might make a deal?"

"The thought has occurred to me." Bill admitted.

What kind of deal could they possibly make? I shuddered and Bill put his arm around me.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He said quietly. "When I said I would die for you, I meant it."

"If that's supposed to make me feel better, it doesn't."

"There was a time not long ago when I think you would have accepted my offer gladly."

"I never wished you dead." I thought back. Well, I was pretty angry, maybe I had thought about him connecting with a stake at some point. The whole thing seemed like it happened eons ago. Tonight I felt old and sad and very tired. I was not in the mood to bring up the past. "That doesn't matter now. None of it."

"Really?"

"You've been here when I needed you." I said, and it was true.

Bill scooted to the end of the couch. "Lay down, Sookie." He propped one of the throw pillows Gran had embroidered on his lap. "See if you can get some sleep."

I lay my head down on the pillow and Bill covered me with the afghan. He stroked my hair. "That feels good." I murmured.

"Shhh." Bill said. "Go to sleep. You're safe."

When I woke up, I was tucked into my own bed and morning light was just beginning to creep through the window shades. Sam was dozing in the chair beside me. I tried to slip out of bed without waking him, but his eyes fluttered and opened.

"Hey." He said sleepily. "Good morning."

"Please tell me you didn't sleep in the chair all night."

"Nope. Bill woke me up before he...went to sleep." Sam gestured to the guest room. Bill must have decided to use his 'hidey hole' here rather than go home.

"He wanted to stay close." He raised the shade and looked out the window, giving a wave to someone. "The weres are here." He said. "Calvin and two others. I have to take care of some insurance stuff. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I do need to go to the license bureau though. I don't suppose I get to go by myself, do I?"

"You really shouldn't be driving without a license." He joked. "I'll take you this afternoon." I grimaced and Sam stepped closer, taking my face in his hands.

"I promised I would protect you, and I will, whether you like it or not." He kissed my forehead. "Dibs on the shower." He said, ducking into the bathroom and shutting the door.

I peeked out the window. Calvin gave me a salute, and I smiled and waved back. I was fortunate to have so many people who cared for me, I thought as I walked downstairs. After Bill called her last night, Octavia had wasted no time creating the ward. I could feel a pleasant sort of energy hovering around the house. I wondered if she'd put a calming chaser in it, because the feeling of dread that had possessed me the night before was gone. Maybe it was because it was daylight. In my experience, bad things happen at night. Well, most of them anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

All in all it wasn't a bad day. At lunchtime I made sandwiches for Calvin and his crew and we ate together at the picnic table in the backyard. It was good to talk with him. He was a good man. I was sorry for what I had to do to him because of my brother, but Calvin seemed to hold nothing against me.

Sam joined us after he finished up with his insurance agent. Now he just had to wait for the arson investigator's report. If it was arson, the police would get involved as well.

We went to the grocery store on the way home from the BMV later that afternoon. I had a license again, but I had a feeling that if it was up to Sam and Bill, I wouldn't be driving myself anywhere for awhile.

Bill rose at sundown and went home for a change of clothes. He was back in less than fifteen minutes, fresh from the shower, wearing khakis and a white shirt with a fine blue pin stripe running through it that I had bought for him when we were dating. He carried his own laptop and a duffel bag.

"What's in the bag?" I asked. I wrapped the last slices of the mushroom and sausage pizza Sam and I had shared for dinner in foil and put them in the refrigerator. I knew it would be gone by morning. Turns out Sam was a late-night snacker.

"A change of clothes, a couple of movies I thought you might want to watch, and a few other things we might need." From the expression on Bill's face, I wasn't going to be told what those 'things' were as of yet. I got him a Tru Blood and popped it in the microwave.

"Thank you." He said when I handed it to him.

Sam was watching the news in the living room. I joined him on the couch and Bill took the chair by the fireplace.

"I did some research last night while you were sleeping." Bill said. He pulled a sheaf of papers from his back pocket. "I printed this out at home."

I took the papers he held out to me. _A History of Yash-Ar._ The page was titled. "This looks like fiction." I said.

"It is." Bill nodded. "Supposedly. But I have a theory."

The conversation had stolen Sam's attention from the newscast. "What's your theory?"

"I think Yash-Ar is writing it." Bill said. "It's a blog, actually, but one where people routinely post stories, and the author has been posting since..." Bill shuffled the papers until he found what he was looking for. "2001."

"So what?" Sam said.

"So, we might find some information here we can use." Bill suggested. "There's a lot more than this. I couldn't print it all out. But we have two laptops, taking turns we should be able to make some headway just reading it online."

"Unless, of course, it's all just a story someone is making up." I noted.

"I don't think so." Bill said. "In 2001, vampires had only been 'out' for a short time. The person writing this has to be a vampire. They know too many things, things only old and well-connected vampires knew at that time. And, they obviously know the middle east and that's his territory." He paused. "He also mentions someone who sounds a lot like Eric. Someone he turned in a nordic village around 900 A.D."

"So you actually think this is him and there might be something in here, something he wrote himself, that will help us kill the bastard?" Sam said. "What are the chances of that?"

"Hubris is a wonderful thing." Bill smiled. It was a cold smile. "Imagine. No one has managed to destroy him in over two thousand years. That could make someone a little cocky, don't you think? Even if he doesn't give instructions on how to destroy him, he is likely to tell us many ways that have not worked, thus narrowing down the possibilities."

Bill turned to me. "I also researched blood bonds. There is a way to lessen the bond. I have to read up on it, but it might be a possibility. I'm not sure what it entails. It was almost dawn when I found the information so I wasn't able to read it thoroughly."

"What? How?" The idea of lessening the blood bond appealed to me more than reading about the horrible things Yash-Ar had done in the past. My imagination didn't need any help scaring me senseless.

"I need to go back and re-read." Bill said. "I'm not sure it can be done without both people present, which would be a problem."

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Here." He handed me the laptop, already open to the page with Yash-Ar's story. "Let me know if you see anything that might be useful. Sam can start on what I've printed out. I'll look into the bond."

I made myself comfortable on the couch and began reading.

The pain started behind my eyes. I thought it was just because I wasn't used to the odd light of the computer so I decided to take a break. I went to the kitchen and got a pop. I took two aspirin, just to be on the safe side. Reluctantly I returned to the living room and went back to reading. This guy might be quite a vampire but he wasn't that compelling of a storyteller. What I had read so far bored me to tears. I read through several more entries dealing with his new vampire spawn and their offspring and so on. It was like reading the part of the Bible with all the 'begats' in it. And the aspirin hadn't helped.

"I think I'll take a bath." I said to Bill and were both still engrossed in the task at hand. "I have a headache."

"Okay." Sam said, never looking up.

"Good idea. Take a break, Sookie." Bill advised.

I was half way up the stairs when it hit me. It felt like a screwdriver being shoved into my skull, or what I imagined that might feel like. I stumbled, catching myself on the railing. I must have made a sound because Bill was at my side in an instant.

"Sookie! What is it? What's wrong?"

"My head! Oh God it hurts." I moaned. There was a blinding white light that I could not shut out, even by closing my eyes. "It hurts. Make it stop!!" My legs gave out with the next wave of pain. I heard someone wailing, and realized it was me. I couldn't even think to form words. Bill lifted me easily and carried me back to the living room, depositing me on the couch. Sam's worried face swam before my eyes.

I was crying now, sobbing and clutching my head with both hands. If someone had offered me death at that moment, I would have accepted gladly. I wanted to scream with the pain. Nothing had ever hurt like this. My teeth started chattering, and I worried that other bodily functions would soon be beyond my control. I didn't dare open my eyes. I couldn't stand it much longer.

Then, as suddenly as it came, the intense pain vanished.

"Sookie? Sookie are you alright?" Sam touched my shoulder and I struggled to sit up.

Bill firmly held me down, putting a pillow under my head. "Lie still." He advised. "I'll get you a glass of water."

"I'm okay now." I insisted. "Really." Sam looked so worried. I squeezed his hand. "I'm fine. Really, I am." And I was. I was totally pain free. Not even a shadow of the headache remained.

Bill returned with the water. As I sipped, he stared at me, pensive. "Can you tell me what just happened?"

I described the pain as best I could, and the light as well.

"You've never had headaches this bad before, have you?" Sam asked.

"No." Bill answered for me. "She hasn't. And if she has, they weren't like this."

"Nothing could be like this." I said.

Bill walked back and forth in front of the fireplace. "I think they're closer than we imagined." He said finally.

"Who...what?" I stuttered. I realized what he meant."What makes you think that?"

"I think it was Eric's pain you were feeling, not your own."

"Well it sure as hell felt like my own." I snarled.

"Of course it did." Bill knelt beside me. "You've felt his emotions before, since the bond, right?"

"Ye-ah." I didn't really want to discuss that with Bill, even now.

"Well, did you know he can hold back, only show you what he wants; or block it completely if he wants?"

"He can? No, he never said that."

"Yes, he can. A younger, more volatile vampire would not be able to, but Eric is old enough and experienced enough to do that. I would say he's been protecting you....holding the bond closed so that you can't tell he's being tortured." Bill shook his head. "I have to hand it to him. He held out for quite awhile."

"Bill, why did the pain stop?" I asked, not really wanting the answer.

"I'm not sure." He admitted.

"Is Eric dead?" Sam asked the question I could not.

Bill looked at me, as if assessing whether or not I was up to hearing his opinion. "He may be. But I don't think so." He grimaced. "When Lorena was torturing me, she would often ease up for moments, even hours. I would begin to think that maybe it was over. Then she would begin again with a vengeance."

My heart beat fast. So the pain could come back. Oh God. I would die if it did. I would beg Bill to kill me.

"What about lessening the bond." I asked, hopefully. "Did you find out anything about that?"

Bill sighed. "Yes, I did. But you aren't going to like it."

"Why?" How bad could it be?

"I think you should read it yourself." Bill said. He reached for the laptop and I sat up. Sam leaned over my shoulder and we read together.

"No way." Sam said defiantly. "No fucking way. She could end up bonded to you Eric, _and_ that maniac. What the fuck is it with you vampires? This stuff is just plain _wrong_."

"Oh and running around in the woods screwing the maenad who attacked Sookie isn't wrong? Living together in Hotshot and interbreeding isn't wrong?" Bill retorted.

"Yeah, well, you can't breed at all. What's that tell ya?"

"Shut up. Both of you." I looked at Bill. "So a bond with you would lessen the bond with Eric?"

"Yes, that appears to be the case." He sighed. "The bond with Eric can only be broken if both parties are present and agree, and the original knife used. But, the bond can be lessened if one of you willingly bonds with another."

"I'm going to take that bath now." I stood up. "I need to think about this."


	10. Chapter 10

I sank deeper into the sudsy water. I didn't want a blood bond with anyone. I wanted to feel like myself again, like I hadn't since this whole damn thing started. The idea of being bonded to a 2000 year-old vampire terrified me. The thought of more pain like I'd experienced earlier terrified me, too. I couldn't trust Eric right now, not knowing what Yash-Ar might have done. Yet, I was intuitively trusting Bill, not something I thought I would ever do again.

Sam was reacting as I would expect. He was afraid for me and afraid of losing me forever to one vampire or the other. I wasn't sure what he would do if I decided to take Bill up on his offer. I hoped he would try to understand..

I leaned back against the tub, closed my eyes, and tried to relax. The water was warm and comforting. I must have drifted off. When I opened my eyes, everything seemed blurry, as if I was looking through window glass in a rain storm. I closed my eyes and rubbed them. It didn't help. If anything, it was worse. Everything was still out of focus, and the room seemed darker. Gradually, everything faded to shadow.

I was going blind.

I started to yell for Bill or Sam, but then I remembered I was naked. Even in my distress I knew I didn't want them to see me this way. I felt my way to stand up, reached for the towel and managed to wrap it around me before the first wave of pain hit. It drove me to my knees and I screamed.

I heard the pounding of feet on the stairs. "Sookie!" Sam yelled. Bill burst through the door with Sam right behind.

"It's back. Oh God make it stop! Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop." I moaned.

I felt Sam kneel beside me. He pulled me close. Warmth seeped through his shirt and I pressed my face against his chest hoping it would ease the pain.

"I can't see." I whimpered.

"What?" Bill leaned in, I felt his cool hand smooth back my hair. "What did you say?"

"I can't see." I choked the words out again.

"Get a robe, get something t cover her up." Sam said to Bill. "We have to get her to the hospital."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why the hell not?"

The pain came in waves. It subsided, then, just as I thought maybe it was gone, it crashed back into me. I couldn't talk, I could only listen to Bill and Sam argue. "Please..." I murmured finally.

"Sookie." Bill's voice was close to my ear. "If we're going to do this we should do it quickly. Do you want this? I can't promise it will make the pain go away completely, but..."

"Do it. Please." I said.

Sam gripped me harder. "No."

"You read the information. You heard her. Now do something to help. Go get me a knife."

Sam let go, pushing me towards Bill. "I'm not staying here to watch this." He said. I heard his feet on the stairs. Moments later the door slammed and I heard the howl of Sam's dog as he ran into the night.

"I'm sorry." I gasped.

"Shh. Shh." Bill soothed. "Sam will be back. He loves you, you know." He held me until the pain subsided and my vision returned.

I sat on the bed, wrapped in my robe, exhausted and scared. "If we're going to do this, let's do it now, before I lose my nerve." I said.

"Sookie," Bill's dark eyes were serious. "Are you sure about this?" He knelt beside the bed.

I pulled the robe tighter around me. "I'm sure."

"Alright." Bill's eyes softened, but his tone was still grave. "I promise you on my honor, when this is over and you are safe I will release you from this bond."

I gazed at him and swallowed the lump in my throat. "Thank you." I lay back against the pillow and pulled the collar of the robe away from my neck, baring it for him. Lifting my chin I took a deep breath. "Do it." I said.

Bill leaned over me. He hesitated for a moment and I felt his cool lips brush my skin. He inhaled deeply. "Sookie." He groaned. Then he bit. It stung for a second, but with the pull of his feeding I felt another, deeper pull low in my belly. I slipped my arm around him, holding him close. He shifted his weight, and I could feel his arousal. This was only natural, I told myself. Whenever Bill had taken blood from me, we were making love. Our bodies were only reacting to that memory, nothing more.

Shaking slightly, Bill released his hold on my neck. He licked the spot and I knew the little wound would heal quickly.

"Your turn." Bill said. He had no knife, so he bit his wrist and pressed it to my lips. My own pulse pounded in my ears and other places as I latched on. Vampire blood is thick and sweet, like honey, but with a metallic edge. I fought the urge to gag and once it passed, I was transported. I held his wrist to my mouth with inhuman strength, drinking him in as if he was life itself. And maybe he was.

"Sookie." I heard my name as if from far away. "Sookie. Stop." The wrist was ripped away and I clawed for it, growling low in my throat. "Sookie." Bill's voice was sharp and startled me into awareness.

I looked at him. His eyes shone and in them I saw truth. He loved me. He had said it over and over, but I wasn't able to hear. Now he was saying nothing, and I simply knew. He loved me. There were undercurrents of other things, guilt and lust among them, but what pulsed most strongly and undeniably through our newly established bond was love. A sense of comfort and belonging that I had not felt since Gran died washed over me.

Bill took my face in his hands and kissed me gently on the forehead. "You should sleep."

"Stay with me." I said, taking his hand.

"I'll be right downstairs." He didn't meet my eyes.

"Stay here with me." I touched his cheek, turning his face toward me.

"Sookie." He sighed. "That isn't a good idea." I felt his conflict. I tried to send him reassurance through the bond, but I must have sent something else entirely.

His eyes opened wide. "You still love me." His voice was full of disbelief.

I nodded. There was no reason to deny it. "Bill." I squeezed his hand. "When this is all over, when I'm safe and Eric is safe....I have some figuring out to do. I love you. I've never really stopped loving you, but I didn't think I could ever trust you again. I was wrong, you've proven that, but I know I can't make any decisions right now. And I can't do anything that might make things more complicated later."

"No." Bill agreed. "I would not want you to."

"So, if you need to go downstairs I'll understand."

He smiled then, such a rare thing. "I think I can control myself. Can you?" He raised an eyebrow.

I pulled him down next to me and lay my head on his chest. "I'll give it my best shot." I said.

He chuckled and stoked my back. His needless breathing, deep and slow, lulled me to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

_Warning: This chapter contains some disturbing events. I hope that no one is offended, but sometimes stories have a mind of their own._

I awoke alone to the sound of scratching. I wandered downstairs and glanced out the front window. Dean was on the porch, one paw raised to scratch the door again. I opened it and he scrambled past me up the stairs. I half expected Sam to come down with his suitcase packed, but instead I heard the bathroom door shut and the shower start. I went to the kitchen to make some coffee.

After awhile, Sam came into the kitchen tucking his shirt into his jeans. He looked at me sheepishly. "I apologize for last night."

"It's alright." I said. I knew Sam had trouble with vampires. He'd learned to be more tolerant, and even to trust Bill to some extent, but considering his newly stated feelings for me I didn't blame him for his reaction.

"No, I was out of line." Sam insisted. "I left you when you needed me." He put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Cher."

I handed him a cup of coffee. "Really, it's okay. I understand."

"Did you do it?" Sam asked. He managed to keep any disdain or jealousy out of his voice, but his knuckles whitened on the cup he held.

"Yes." I nodded. I pulled the robe tighter around me. No need to display the evidence.

"So what now?"

"We wait. See if this helps stop the attacks."

"What if it makes him angry? Did you think of that?"

I hadn't. "Well, then, I suppose he'll come after me. Or Bill. At least he'll be out in the open where we can fight him."

"Fight him?" Sam shook his head. " I hope we don't have to. But I made some contacts last night."

"Contacts? With who?"

"No one you know. But they might be able to help us against him, if it comes to that."

Sam had secrets. I knew he knew people and...creatures that I didn't. But hearing it stated so plainly was disturbing. I sighed. I ought to be used to disturbing by now, the last few days had been an exercise in disturbing things.

"I'm going to take a shower. Will you stick around?"

"Sure. I need to get to the bank, and call the arson investigator, but I've got plenty of time. Calvin's crew is here, too."

Upstairs, I glanced at myself in the bathroom mirror. The effects of Bill's blood were apparent, at least to me. My skin glowed, my hair was disheveled, but shiny, and my eyes were bright. The wounds on my neck were practically healed. I took my time in the shower, washing and conditioning my hair, shaving my legs, and sudsing up with some scented body wash Amelia gave me for Christmas. By the time I emerged I felt closer to human. I dried my hair, put on some make-up and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved Merlotte's t-shirt.

Sam was talking on his cell phone. "I see. So you'll talk with him today?" There was a long pause. "Alright then. Yes, I will. Goodbye."

"Was that Mr. Ross?" I surprised myself remembering the arson investigator's name. Maybe it was those green eyes.

"Yes. He spoke with Arlene yesterday." Sam sighed.

"What did he say?"

"Said she was a piece of work. Obviously hated me, hated shifters, vampires, and a couple of other groups of people, probably including him, but that she didn't seem to know anything about the fire. He said she was way too willing to let him see how happy she was about the bar burning to have had something to do with it, unless she was stupid, his words, not mine."

Sam's shoulders slumped and his brow creased with worry. "How can she not know me?"

I walked over and hugged him. "How can you not know her? She's become a narrow-minded hard-headed fool." I reminded him.

"Yeah." Sam nodded, but he didn't seem any more willing to accept Arlene's change of heart.

"Go run your errands." I told him. "It'll take your mind off things. I'm going to set up the laptop and see if I can figure out how to e-mail Octavia."

"Alright." Sam said. He bent and kissed my forehead. "I won't be gone long."

I took the computer into the kitchen. I checked my bank accounts online, because I could, and then accessed my new e-mail account. I had mail! I was as giddy as a six-year-old with a new toy. I clicked on the message. It was from Bill. Well, duh, no one else knew I even had an e-mail address.

_Dearest Sookie,_

_I hope you slept well. I know last night wasn't an easy decision for you, and I meant what I said about releasing you from the bond when this is all over. That said, it gladdens my heart to know that even a part of you still loves me. I will see you tonight._

_Yours,_

_Bill_

I wondered if he would check his e-mail before he came over. Knowing the computer geek he was, he probably would. I hit reply and typed my first e-mail.

_Bill,_

_You made last night as easy as you could. I truly know now how much you care for me and it means everything ...._no scratch that, I thought..._it means a lot to me. Sam did come back this morning, just like you said he would. He loves me, too, and that makes all of this even more complicated. I hope I get the chance to sort it all out. See you tonight._

I agonized for way too long over how to sign it. Finally, I just signed my name and hit send.

I pulled my address book out of the drawer and flipped through. There it was. I knew I had stuck one of Octavia's business cards in here. It had her name, phone number, and an e-mail address. I knew she checked her e-mail daily so I rattled off a note thanking her for the ward and asking if she'd heard from Amelia. I didn't tell her about Bill and I, and I wasn't sure why. I was just about to hit 'send' when the doorbell rang.

Out of caution, I glanced out the window before opening the door. A girl stood there, long dirty-blond hair pulled back in a skinny ponytail, freckles splashed across her face. Her eyes darted left and right, as if she were expecting someone to jump out of the bushes. She was taller than the last time I had seen her.

"Lisa?" I said to Arlene's daughter as I opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

She pushed past me. "Shut the door." She begged.

I shut it and turned to stare at her. She was obviously upset. Her face was tear-streaked and she didn't meet my eyes.

"That man from the police came to talk to her. He asked all kinds of questions but Mama didn't burn the bar down, Aunt Sookie. I know she didn't."

"Okay, Sweetheart."

She bit her bottom lip. I almost opened my mind at that point, to see if I could hear what she was thinking, but decided against it.

"Let's go in the kitchen and sit." We had spent time together in this kitchen. Lisa and Cody had helped me bake cookies, played games, even spent an evening with Bill when he and I were first dating. I pulled out a chair and motioned her to sit. I sat across from her and waited.

"I know who did it." Her voice was a whisper.

"What?"

"I know who set fire to Merlotte's." Lisa repeated.

"Who, Lisa?" I thought about the courage it took for her to come here, knowing, as she must, how her mom felt about Sam and me. It made her seem very grown-up.

"Can I have a glass of milk?" She was a child again, just like that.

I poured a glass of milk for both of us and set the cookie jar on the table. "They're chocolate chip." I told her.

She took a cookie and dipped it in the milk. Taking a bite, she swallowed. "Whit has this friend." She made a face. "He comes over all the time. I don't like him. He wears too much smelly stuff."

"After shave?" I said, helpfully.

"Yeah, and that greasy slick stuff in his hair. Gross." She took another bite of the cookie. "These are good." She smiled. "Your cookies were always good. Mom burns them."

I laughed. "Your mom never was much of a cook."

"No." Lisa agreed.

"Tell me more about Whit's friend." I prodded. "Do you know his name?"

"Whit calls him Junior. I don't know his last name. He works for the church though."

"Can you describe him for me? Beyond smelly and greasy?" I tried to lighten my question with a tease.

"He's short, but not fat like Whit. He looks like he works out. He has muscles. Dark hair, and his skin is all...bumpy, like he used to have zits or something."

So, short, dark, and pock-marked. That was a description alright. I could pass that along to the arson investigator.

"How do you know he burned down the bar?" I asked.

"I heard Whit and him talking." Lisa twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "They thought I was asleep. He said he wished the shifter had been there so he could have burned, too. Why do they hate Sam?"

"I don't know, Sweetheart." I said honestly.

"Mama would be mad that I was here."

"I know." I nodded. "It was brave of you to come."

Her lower lip trembled and she looked like she was about to cry again.

"Lisa, is there something else?"

She shook her head and I couldn't help hearing her thoughts, they rolled off her like waves. _No, no, no!_ _Can't tell her that. Can't tell anyone that. No one can know. It's a secret. Mama can't know. She wouldn't love me anymore if she knew how bad I was._

I swallowed hard. I knew those thoughts. I'd had those thoughts when I was a child. I knew what caused them. "Lisa," I said cautiously. She was like a frightened bird, and if I said or did the wrong thing she was going to fly away. "You know you can tell me anything. Just because your mama and I aren't getting along, doesn't mean I don't love you and Cody."

_Can't can't can't. Whit will be mad. He'll tell mama what we did and she'll send me away._

"Lisa?"

She threw herself at me and I caught her, wrapping my arms around her skinny frame. She sobbed and sobbed until I thought she would break. I patted her back and made reassuring noises until she quieted. She pulled away and sat back in her own chair, staring at the floor, wringing her hands in her lap. Time passed. A lot of time.

Lisa took a deep shuddering breath. "Whit makes me do things."

Oh dear Jesus in heaven I am going to kill that man with my bare hands, I thought. "What things, Honey?"

One stray tear made its way down her cheek. Her eyes met mine in a silent plea. She didn't want to say the words.

"Things grown-ups do." Lisa whispered. "He makes me touch him...there...and do other things."

Suddenly killing him seemed like way too easy on the bastard. Maybe I would just sic Bill on him. I took a deep breath so she wouldn't see my anger and think it was directed at her. "Lisa, did he tell you it was your fault? Did he tell you that you made him do those things to you?"

She nodded, wide-eyed.

"Well. It's not. It's not your fault. It's his fault. It's _**all**_ his fault. He's wrong and he's a bad man. You are a child. He's an adult and he knows better."

Lisa was crying again, silently this time. I got up and fetched the box of kleenex from the windowsill.

I touched her shoulder. "Lisa. I am so glad you told me. Thank you for trusting me." I swallowed. Now the hard part. "We have to call your mama. She needs to know what's happening."

"No!" Lisa panicked, as I figured she would.

"Honey. Whit lied to you. There is nothing you could do that would make your mama stop loving you." I prayed that I spoke the truth. A year or so ago, I wouldn't have doubted it, but now? I didn't know Arlene anymore.

Lisa stared at me and I realized she hadn't actually _told_ me what Whit said. "How did you know he told me that?"

"Honey, they all say that. They want to separate you from the people who love you, make you think you'll get into trouble, when it's themselves they're worried about." I handed her the phone. "I think it's best if you call. Your mama might not talk to me."

She dialed slowly, then hung up. Twice. Finally, with a sigh, she dialed again and I heard the tinny ring. "Mama?" She said. Then she started sobbing again, so hard I knew no words were going to get out. I heard Arlene's frantic voice on the phone asking what was wrong. Above anything else, Arlene had always been a good mom. She got carried away with the men in her life sometimes, but she loved her kids. I took the phone.

"Arlene, it's Sookie."

"What the...What have you done to my daughter you....you....." Evidently she couldn't come up with a bad enough word for me, and the pause while she was thinking of one gave me a chance to break in.

"Lisa is here. She showed up on my doorstep and she's told me something you need to hear. I suggest you come and get her." With that I hung up.


	12. Chapter 12

I have to hand it to Arlene. Her tires threw up gravel in my driveway not ten minutes after Lisa called. She must have driven twenty miles over the speed limit to get here so fast. She slammed the car door and stomped up the steps. Lisa was in the bathroom, so I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.

"Where is she?!" Arlene practically screamed. "Where's my daughter? What have you done to my daughter?"

"Shut up, Arlene." I snapped. Gosh that felt good. "Your little girl is hurting and scared and she's afraid to tell you what she needs to. You need to go in there nice and calm and sit down and listen to her."

"I'm going in there and getting my daughter and taking her home, that's what I'm doing." Arlene tried to push by me.

"No. You'll listen to her here." I knew I couldn't keep her if she really wanted to leave, but I wanted to be sure Lisa was safe.

"Mama?" Lisa poked her head out the door. "Please, Mama, I want to stay here with Aunt Sookie."

"She's not your aunt." Arlene said, but her harsh tone vanished when she saw Lisa's red-eyes and tear streaked face. "Sweet Jesus, Honey, what's wrong?"

"Let's go in the house." I held the door open and Arlene reluctantly followed me inside. Lisa perched on the edge of the couch and Arlene sat beside her. I took the chair.

"Go ahead Lisa." I said. "Just tell your mom what you told me, Sweetie."

Lisa's hands trembled in her lap, but after a few moments the whole story came tumbling out.

Arlene listened. Her eyes grew dark and when Lisa finished, she was very quiet. She stared at her daughter for a minute, then turned to me. "Lisa, Honey, you stay here. Aunt Sookie and I are going to the kitchen. We'll be right back."

Lisa glanced up at me, and I smiled encouragingly. I thought I knew what Arlene wanted to talk to me about, and it meant she mostly believed her daughter, even though I knew she didn't want to.

Arlene swung the kitchen door shut behind us. She couldn't look me in the eye. "Is she telling the truth?"

I glared at her, forcing her to meet my gaze. Now, when she needed it, my peculiarity was okay. It was perfectly fine for me to go poking in her daughter's head.

"I wouldn't have called you if she wasn't." I said. I went to the sink, got a glass of water and headed back to Lisa.

"I'll kill the bastard." I heard Arlene say as I left her there.

"Is Mom mad at me?" Lisa asked. She seemed frightened and relieved at the same time.

I handed her the water. "No, she's not mad at you. She knows whose fault this is."

Arlene came back in. Now her face was tear-streaked. She knelt in front of her daughter. "Baby, I am so sorry this happened to you." She held out her arms and Lisa crawled in. She was crying again, but not the anguished sobs of earlier. I was betting these were tears of relief. No more secrets.

Arlene looked up at me, tears in her eyes, too. "I am so sorry, Sookie. I've been so caught up in fighting monsters that I missed the one living under my own roof."

"You really think Sam is a monster?"

"I don't know." Arlene went back to stroking Lisa's hair.

"Yes, you do, Arlene Fowler." I didn't raise my voice, but my tone let her know how I felt. "He's the same Sam you worked for, the same one you considered a friend. Nothing has changed."

"You may be right. I honestly don't know which end is up right now." She hugged Lisa hard and looked at me. "Can she stay here for an hour or so?"

Her hands fluttered uselessly and she stuck them in the pockets of her jeans. "I know you don't owe me nothin', but Lisa feels safe here, and I don't want her to be afraid anymore if I can help it."

"What are you going to do, Arlene?" I worried she might take matters into her own hands.

"I'm gonna get Cody and get my stuff outta that bastard's house and then I'm going to the police."

Lisa gave a little moan. "I don't want to talk to the police."

"Honey, you only have to tell them what you told me. That's all. Then they'll arrest him and put him away for a long long time."

"Lisa can stay here." I nodded. Just then, I heard the truck in the driveway and Sam's firm step on the porch. He opened the door without knocking and walked in. Arlene blushed a furious shade of red and looked from Sam to me and back again.

"Sam's trailer burned too." I reminded her. "He's sleeping in the guest room while Amelia is away."

I...better go. I won't be long." She turned to Lisa. "You okay staying here?"

"Yes, Mama."

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She stared at the floor. "Thank you Sookie." Brushing by Sam without a word, she walked out.

"Hey Lisa." Sam gave her a wave.

"Hi, Sam."

"Lisa, there's a couple of movies there. You're welcome to put one in if you want. Do you know how to work the VCR?"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Well, it is almost lunch time. If I fix some sandwiches, will you eat one?"

She shrugged.

Sam followed me into the kitchen. "What in the world is going on here?"

I filled him in as I made some sandwiches.

Sam paced the length of the small kitchen, slapping his fist into the palm of his hand. "I knew that guy was a creep, but come on...little kids? People think we're the monsters?" He shook his head.

"Humans are capable of monstrous acts all on their own." I agreed.

I called Lisa in and we ate our sandwiches. Sam asked Lisa about school, and she told him about a field trip her class had taken to a restored sugar plantation. She had loved the women's dresses with their huge hoop skirts and petticoats. Her eyes lit up when she described them. It was good to see and gave me hope that with some time she would be just fine.

Arlene pulled into the drive just as Lisa dried off the last plate and I returned it to the cupboard. I could see from the window that the back of the car was packed full. Cody sat sullenly staring out the passenger window and refused to get out of the car when Arlene opened the door. Evidently picking her battles, Arlene shut the door on him and headed for the house.

"Come on in." I hollered before she could knock. "Everything okay?"

"Yes." She said. "Whit wasn't home. Thank God. I might have done something to him."

"Better to let the police handle that."

"That's where we're going. Come on, Baby Doll," She said to Lisa. "Let's get this over with."

Lisa came over and hugged me. "Thanks Aunt Sookie."

"Anytime Sweetie." I hugged her back, looking at Arlene over the top of her head. "You come back and see me, anytime, you hear."

Arlene nodded. "Thank you again."

"Where will you stay?"

Arlene shrugged. "I'll find something."

"One half of the duplex on Sycamore is open."

We turned to see Sam in the kitchen doorway.

"What?" Arlene and I said at the same time.

"One half of the duplex on Sycamore is free. You and the kids can stay there as long as you need."

I smiled at Sam. Arlene just stared at him. "You'd do that for me...after...." Her voice broke and she sank into the nearest chair. "But...you need a place to stay yourself."

"I don't have two kids." Sam said. He fished a key off the ring at his hip and handed it to her.

"I am such an idiot." She sobbed.

Neither Sam nor I objected to this self-evaluation.


	13. Chapter 13

After Arlene and Lisa left, Sam and I sat on the front porch enjoying the late afternoon sun. "That was a very nice thing you did." I said.

"Yep." He grinned at me. "I'm a nice guy, Sookie."

"I know." I smiled back at him. He was a nice guy. And a good kisser, too as I remembered. If I was honest with myself, I did have more-than-friendship feelings for him. I just wasn't sure if they were the kind of feelings you built a relationship on. But, then, I hadn't been all that successful building a relationship when I was pretty sure of how I felt. When had my mostly non-existent love life become so complicated?

Sam stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back. "I suppose Bill's not a bad guy either, for a vampire."

"Why, Sam, that's big of you to admit." I smirked.

He grew serious. "But I'm not sure about Eric. I know you like him and he's fun and all that but..."

"Eric is complicated." I admitted. "But he has a good....heart." I really did think so. Most of the time.

"That heart doesn't beat." Sam reminded me.

"Neither does Bill's."

"I know, but he just seems more human."

That made me laugh. I'd thought the same thing once, but I'd seen the vampire side of both of them too many times not to know they were a lot more alike than different.

"Full moon tonight." Sam said.

"Arf, arf." I joked.

"Will Bill be here for you?" Sam was still in serious mode.

"He said he'd see me tonight." Suddenly I remembered the real reason for Lisa's visit. "Oh my gosh! Sam, I can't believe I forgot!"

"Forgot what?"

"Lisa came here today because she heard something. She thinks she knows who set fire to Merlotte's."

"What!? Who?"

"Some friend of Whit's...he calls him Junior. She says he works at the church."

"I'll call the arson guy right now." Sam said. He pulled out his cell phone and hit some buttons. I heard him talking excitedly.

"He's going to look into it first thing in the morning. He may want to talk to Lisa."

"She's going to be tired of talking to policemen." I noted.

"Yeah, poor kid. I hope Arlene has sense enough to get her some help."

"Me, too."

The sun sank slowly beyond the trees. I felt a stirring and realized that Bill was awake and moving. How odd. I'd never felt it this keenly with Eric. But, Bill lived a lot closer.

"I'm gonna go." Sam said. "You be okay till he gets here?"

"He's here." Bill stepped out of the shadows. "Full moon, I see."

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "See you in the morning, Cher," He bent and kissed my cheek.

"Hi." I said as Bill sank down to sit beside me on the step. I felt oddly shy and nervous or…wait…Bill felt nervous. I was picking up on his feelings. Oh my. This was strange. I'd never really experienced a blood bond this way. It seemed like whenever Eric and I were together since we bonded, something dangerous or disturbing was happening. We really hadn't had any time to be normal and quiet together like this. Of course, if we had, I was sure Eric wouldn't have been nervous. He would have spent the time attempting to seduce me. For the moment, Bill seemed intent on not seducing me. There was an undercurrent of arousal, but it was tempered by the same sense of comfort and belonging I had felt sleeping in his arms the night before. I told him about the day's events.

"So, Sam called the arson investigator and he's going to look into what Lisa said. As to the other, at least Arlene has come around and hopefully, Whit will get what he deserves." I said. Then, remembering the justice Bill extracted from Uncle Bartlett, I added. "I hear child-molesters have a rough time in prison."

Bill was quiet for a long time. I enjoyed the silence. "Do you want to watch a movie?" He asked finally.

"Sure." I was relieved he didn't want to discuss things further. Today had taken a toll on me already.

We went inside and I left Bill sorting through the movies in the bag he'd left last night while I fixed myself something to eat. I got him a True Blood and we lounged together on the couch, laughing at _Weekend at Bernie's._ We followed that up with _Mars Attacks!, _one of Bill's favorites.

When the movie was over, we played cards for awhile. After I yawned for the fourth or fifth time, Bill touched my arm. "You can go to bed, you know. I can keep myself entertained."

"I am a little tired." I yawned again.

"No headache." Bill said, as if it just occurred to him.

"No." I closed my eyes. "I can't feel anything at all, Bill…not even a twinge from Eric. What does it mean?"

"It could mean any number of things." He noted. "It could be that with our new bond, and my being here, it blocks anything from another source, or…he might be too far away."

"Or he could be dead, really dead." I said. My stomach churned at the thought.

"Sookie." Bill laid his hands on my shoulders. "Look at me. I'm sure Eric isn't dead. He's strong. He's a survivor."

Calmness washed over me. I gazed into Bill's dark eyes. He was so close I could smell the fabric softener in the shirt he wore mingling with his own musky scent. He smelled good. I moved closer and I forgot about Eric. I wrapped my arms around Bill's neck and leaned in, enhaling. My lips brushed the hollow of his throat.. A rush of desire pulsed through the bond and he pulled violently away.

"Damn it, Sookie." Bill paced the length of the living room and turned back to me, eyes blazing. Then he let down his guard and I felt the full force of his love and desire. It made my knees buckle and I stumbled. He was there to catch me before I hit the floor.

"Do you feel that?" He hissed in my ear as he set me back on my feet.

"Yes." I stared at the floor waiting for him to move away, but he just stood there. I looked up and his pale face was inches away.

"Sookie." He murmured, taking my face in his hands. His voice was cool and sweet. He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me. My breath vanished in that kiss. It went on and on, our lips and mouths and tongues entwined. It was like the first kiss we'd ever shared that night after he met Gran, only this time I knew what came next. Oh boy did I know.

Bill's hands went to my waist, pulling me closer. I felt his hardness pressing against me. His mouth left mine, traveling down my neck as his hands stroked my hips. I fumbled with the his shirt, tugging it out of his pants sliding my hands up his back, his skin cool beneath my fingers. He groaned and returned his mouth to mine, the bond pulsed with his need.

I pulled him toward the couch, wanting nothing more than to feel him on top of me, inside me. There was no hesitation, in that moment I knew without a doubt that Bill loved me and I loved him. Nothing else mattered.

_**THUD!**_

Something heavy landed on the porch and hit the door. Bill was in front of me in an instant. "Get in the kitchen." He growled. "Now!"


	14. Chapter 14

I stood frozen to the spot.

"MOVE!" Bill snarled. With inhuman speed and strength he picked me up and deposited me in the kitchen, pulling the door shut behind him. I opened it a crack and pressed my face up to the space so I could see into the living room.

Bill's body blocked my view as he opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. He stooped and I saw his shoulders strain to lift something. Anger and apprehension flooded through him and through the bond to me. He turned, and I saw the lifeless figure he carried. It was Eric.

"My God!" I pushed the door open and rushed into the living room..

"Sookie, stay back." Bill lay Eric on the floor just inside the door and returned to the porch. I saw him move like a flash. He must have gone around the house to check for anyone else. I was just about to kneel beside Eric and brush the hair from his face when Bill grabbed my shoulders, pulling me away.

"Bill! What are you doing? Stop! Let me go. I want to see him!"

"No! Sookie, I told you to stay away from him!" Bill's fangs were out and his eyes blazed. He was terrified for my safety. "Eric is hurt. He's been starved. Most likely drained. If he wakes up he'll attack you without knowing what he's doing."

I backed up. I knew from experience that Bill was right.

Bill knelt beside him. Eric was unconscious. He wore the remnants of the clothing he'd had on the last time I saw him, the night after the fire. The shirt was torn away and several bright red slashes cut a path across his chest. The left side of his face was badly burned, not like Bill's had been after the explosion in Rhodes, but in a pattern. An imprint of some kind was stamped over and over into his skin. Whatever had been done to Eric had been done methodically and with purpose. One arm hung at an odd angle and his legs bore burns as well, these clearly inflicted by some sort of shackles, probably made of silver. What disturbed me more than his injuries was the fact that they were raw and open. He wasn't healing.

"Is he...." I started to say dead but vampires are already dead. I had seen what happened to them when they _really _died. Eric looked bad, worse than Bill when Lorena tortured him, but as long as he was still here...there was hope.

"He needs blood."

I started to roll up my sleeve.

"More than you can safely give him." Bill said. "I can give him some, but that won't be enough either. We need to call Pam."

My hand shook as I dialed the phone.

"Fangtasia, the bar with bite." An unfamiliar voice answered.

"This is Sookie Stackhouse. I need to speak to Pam."

There was a click and then another click. "Sookie." Pam answered. "I thought I told you not to call here."

I took a deep breath. Hysteria would not go over well with Pam. "Eric is here. He's bad, it's horrible Pam. He needs blood. Lots of it. Bill says...."

"I'll be there within the hour." Pam hung up.

"She's coming." I said to Bill.

He looked up at me. His eyes full of something I couldn't read. As I forced myself to relax and reached for the bond, I felt his anger, mixed with frustration, and sorrow. Sorrow for me.

"Bill?"

"Get me a True Blood. Maybe two." He bit his wrist and pressed it to Eric's mouth. With his other hand he supported his head, but Eric didn't respond. "Damn it." Bill swore.

"What can I do?" I felt helpless, and tears threatened. I _so_ did not want to cry.

Bill left Eric and came to me, easing me down on the couch. He hung his head. "Sookie I have never seen a vampire this badly injured. I hope that we can help him, but even if we can, it may be months, years even, before he regains his former strength."

"Do you really want to help him?" I said. I touched his chin, tilting his head up to look into his eyes. I knew he wouldn't be able lie to me.

He sighed. "What I _want_ does not matter. I _will_ help him. He is my sheriff. I owe him that." He did not look away from my gaze. "I won't pretend that I like him. Or that I welcome his intrusion this evening." Something sparked in his eyes and I felt a jolt of desire. "But I know that you care for him. So I will help him for you, as well."

"Thank you." I said sincerely. Bill took my hand and squeezed it. Then he brought it to his lips and kissed the palm gently. A shiver ran through me. Then...something else. A tiny spark of jealousy and anger. Eric.

Bill must have felt it too. He looked at me for a moment, then leaned in and kissed me. This kiss made the last one seem chaste. Bill was sending me pure desire through the bond and I felt it all the way to my toes, not to mention other places. Images of all the times we had made love flashed through my memory. I could feel his hands on me, everywhere at once. I kissed him back with abandon.

A low moan came from the huddled figure on the carpet. Bill pulled away from me instantly, his eyes dark. Slowly, he made his way to Eric. I followed several steps behind. Eric's eyes were open, but unfocused. His fangs were out. Bill bit his wrist and pressed it once again to Eric's dry chapped lips.

"Drink." Bill hissed.

Eric turned his head.

"Drink or I will let you die." Bill lowered his head and growled into Eric's ear. "I will let you die and you will _**never**_ have her. She will mourn you, but she won't mourn forever. We will be together, Sookie and I."

Eric's eyes roamed and found mine. I steeled myself, but only felt a twinge of his pain and anger. His good arm came up jerkily and grasped Bill's wrist. After what seemed to me like a terribly short time, Bill pulled away.

"Why are you stopping?" I almost shouted. "He isn't better." Eric's eyes still weren't focusing, and after a moment, they closed once more.

"He can only take so much of my blood. Vampires don't exchange blood with each other that often." Bill said. "It can cause problems." He didn't explain further. Instead, he glanced at the door expectantly. "Where the hell is Pam?"

As if on cue, headlights swung into the driveway and I heard car doors slam. Pam had brought someone with her. I ran to the door, opening it before she had a chance to knock. Pam pushed past me, clutching the hand of a short dark-haired girl dressed in typical fangbanger regalia . A taller heavy-set girl with dirty blonde hair followed. Both girls smiled at me with dazed eyes. They were definitely glamoured.

"Let's do this." Pam said, barely giving her prostrate boss a glance.

"Not here." Bill said flatly. He picked Eric up, throwing him over his shoulder like a fireman, and headed for the stairs. He barely reacted. Bill's eyes met mine. "We'll use the guest room. Sam won't be back tonight. He can rest in the crawl space for the day. There might be room enough for you, also." He said to Pam.

I stared at all of them, knowing what was about to happen, yet not wanting to know. "Bill?" I knew he could feel my fear. "What's going to happen to them? You said he might kill _me_. What about them?"

"Why do you think I brought two?" Pam asked.

"I won't let them die, Sookie. I promise."

Pam smiled. "Always the southern gentleman, aren't you Bill? Come on." She half led, half drug the two girls toward the stairs.


	15. Chapter 15

I apologize for the delay in posting new chapters, but real life has intervened in my writing. Hopefully after next week things will be back to normal and I'll have some time to get back to it. Thanks for your patience! WKW


	16. Chapter 16

I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of wine. I sat at the table, thumbing through one of Gran's cookbooks, trying to keep my mind off what was happening upstairs. I said a little prayer that Eric would be okay and that Bill would be able to keep those poor girls alive. I

wondered if God listened to prayers about vampires. I finished the wine in one big swallow and poured another glass. I'm not usually a big drinker, but I thought I had a perfect right to a second glass under the circumstances.

There was a whining at the back door, then a sharp bark. I opened the door and Sam trotted in. He rubbed his head against my leg and rolled over. I gave his belly a scratch and shut the door. When I sat back down the dog rested his head on my lap and looked up at me with mournful eyes. I patted him absentmindedly as I sipped my wine. I knew he'd come back to comfort me. I wondered if he'd seen whoever dumped Eric off. There was no way of knowing until morning.

Bill walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and got a True Blood. He microwaved it briefly, popped the top and drank it down. "Eric is in the 'hidey hole' in the closet. Pam is going to stay here with him. He needs to rest."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"I think so. His injuries are healing. Rest will help. He may sleep for several days."

"And the girls?"

"They'll feel awful for a day or two, but they'll be fine." Bill glanced down at Sam. The dog wagged his tail. "I'm going to make sure the girls get home safely. Will you be alright?"

"I have a watch dog here. " I said, managing a smile.

"Sookie?" Pam walked into the kitchen. "Eric wants to see you."

"I thought he was sleeping."

"He's awake _now_ and he won't rest until he speaks with you."

Sam whined.

"I won't let him hurt her, Sam." Bill assured him.

Even without the bond I would have known how hard this was for Bill. With the bond, I could feel how torn he was between his emotions and mine. I didn't want to hurt him, but I had to see Eric. I had to know that he was going to be all right. I petted Sam's head again.

Bill held out his hand to me and I took it. Together we followed Pam to the stairs. Turning to him I said "I'm not making some kind of choice right now. You know that, right?"

"I know."

"If it was you lying there, I would feel the same way."

Pam rolled her eyes and disappeared up the stairs.

"It's okay, Sookie." He gave my behind a little push and I went up and walked slowly into the bedroom.

Eric was propped up by several pillows and the burns on his face were beginning to heal. His right arm was twitching, which meant it was likely healing as well. The dried blood had been washed off his chest and he was wearing a clean pair of pants. Pam must have brought clothing. Nothing of Bill's would have fit him.

Pam stood by the bed.

Bill motioned to the dazed blonde girl leaning against the wall. "Why don't you take her downstairs and get her something to eat?"

"Food?" Pam made a face.

"Yes. Food. Sookie has a refrigerator full."

"Where's the other one?" I asked. The sound of the toilet flushing answered my question before Pam could. I watched as the dark-haired girl came out of the bathroom. She weaved a bit, not steady on her feet, but at least she was mobile.

"Pam?" Bill said pointedly.

"Alright, alright." Pam grumbled. "Come on ladies." She helped the heavy girl up and both girls obediently followed her out of the room.

Eric had watched the whole thing impassively. Now he looked at me. "So you are bonded to us both. Interesting." His voice was weak, but still carried an undercurrent of his ever-present sarcasm.

"Eric." Bill began, a warning tone in his voice.

"Shut up, Bill. Let Sookie speak for herself. Tell me, Lover, did he coerce you into forming this bond?"

Same attitude. It looked like Eric was going to recover. "No." I said firmly. "He did not." I explained the pain I had experienced and Bill's research. "And it worked. I never felt another twinge of pain."

"How lovely for _you_." Eric said. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I am tired. I must rest and heal." He waved his hand as if dismissing me.

"Now just you wait a cotton-pickin' minute." I said loudly. "First of all, _you_ summoned _me_ up here. I was quite willing to let you rest. Second, I've been worried sick about you and about the 2000 year-old super-vamp who had you. Oh, and thanks for telling me about _that." _I spat.

His eyes didn't open. "I am sorry about that. Truly. I thought Yash-Ar was in the past. I never dreamed he would come looking for me."

"You should have known better." Bill intoned.

"Yes," Eric nodded slowly. "I probably should have."

"What did he want?" Bill shoved his hands in his pockets and paced at the foot of the bed.

"Not to worry." Eric said. His eyes blinked and fixed on mine. "It wasn't you or the bond he was interested in."

"Then what did he want?" Bill repeated his question.

"He isn't that complicated. What does anyone want? Money. Power. He's making a play, don't ask me what it is, I'm not privy to that information. Although he has quite an interest in our Las Vegas friends. At any rate he needed capital. What quicker way to get it than to force his many, many progeny to turn over their assets?"

"Assets? Like what? Money?" I imagined Eric had quite a bit of money. Bill did, and he was younger by far than Eric. Before the big reveal, most vampires glamoured people into giving them money, or at least backing them in various undertakings. If they invested that money wisely, over hundreds of years they could amass a fortune. Eric drove expensive cars, plural, and wore expensive clothes. I was sure he paid Pam well. He'd bought gravel for my driveway without blinking. Yep. Eric had lots of money.

"Money. Yes." Eric smirked. "Money and property."

"Fangtasia!" Bill and I said at the same time.

"I no longer own Fangtasia." Eric confirmed. He sank a bit further into the pillows. I couldn't imagine Fangtasia without Eric. Or Eric without Fangtasia. I reached out for the bond, to see if I could comfort him; but I felt nothing.

Puzzled, I tried Bill. Sympathy radiated from him, along with relief that I was safe. Then there was something else, a kind of satisfaction in this turn of events. I glared at him, and he shrugged.

I tried Eric again. Nothing. "Why can't I feel you?" I said finally.

"I don't want you to at the moment." Eric's voice was quiet.

Great. Just great. I turned to Bill. "Could you leave for a minute? I don't think he's going to attack me. He doesn't seem hungry." I smiled nervously. I could sense Bill's reluctance. "It's okay. I just want to talk to Eric in private."

"Alright." Bill nodded. "I'll be right outside." I met his eyes and shook my head.

"I'll be right downstairs then. I'll know if you need me." His last remark was directed more at Eric than me.

Bill left, closing the door behind him. I sat on the edge of the bed. "It's okay to be upset." I told Eric. "Anyone would be in your place."

Eric laughed harshly. "Upset? Sookie, I have lived a thousand years. I've had setbacks and seen much destruction. This is nothing."

"It's your life." I said. "He's taken everything from you."

"Not everything." Eric said. "He didn't take you." His eyes blazed. "You gave yourself away, gave your blood to Bill. What else did you give him?"

Now I felt Eric's jealousy and rage.

"He has broken vampire law by bonding to you while you were mine. I would be within my rights to destroy him."

My heart was pounding. "He only did it to save me from the pain. What was Yash-Ar doing to you?" I tried desperately to change the subject.

"You think saving you was his only motivation?" Eric sneered.

"He loves me." I said.

Eric stared at me. He cocked his head. "And you love him."

I stared at the bed, wadding the blanket into my fist. "Yes." I whispered.

"And me?" There was no self-pity or expectation in his voice. It was just a question.

"I...I don't know, Eric. I loved you once. That week we spent together was one of the best times in my life."

"The week I was cursed. The week I only just remembered." He shook his head. "I was not myself. I made promises to you that could not be kept and which now...well, that is moot."

"It happened." I insisted.

"Of course it happened." Eric stared at me. "It 'happened'over and over again as I recall all too well."

I blushed fiercely.

"That was a glorious week, but I was not myself. I had no memory of who I really was."

"Maybe that _**is**_ who you really are." I said, voicing something I had long believed.

"Perhaps. But I no longer know how to be that person, if I ever did. That person is gone. He isn't coming back." Eric closed his eyes. I waited, but he didn't say anything more. After a few moments, I kissed his cheek and left.


End file.
